Practical Piety, Title page – Letter
PRACTICAL PIETY; OR, THE PASTOR'S Laſt Legacy TO HIS BELOVED PEOPLE Directing how to Walk with GOD in theſe Apoſtatizing Times.
WITH Two moſt Serious Exhortatory Epiſtles to Satisfie the Chriſtian Readers, concerning the Whole WORK.
To which is Added Morning and Evening PRAYERS for Private Families.
By that Reverend Divine, Mr. William Thomas, late Rector of the Church of Ubley, in the County of Somerſet, after his 44 years Labours in the Miniſtry in that Place.
Acts 2. 42. And they continued ſtedfaſtly in the Apoſtles Doctrine and Fellowſhip, and in Breaking of Bread, and in Prayer.
London, Printed for Edward Thomas, at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1681.
To my dearly beloved, the Church and Congregation belonging to my Charge, inhabiting within the Pariſh of Ubley in the County of Somerſet: Grace and Peace.
Dearly beloved in the Lord,
IT was for your ſakes that I firſt ſet my thoughts on this enſuing Treatiſe; For, having lived and laboured ſo many years amongſt you already, I cannot look to abide long with you, and therefore have thought it meet to do my endeavour, that you may be able, after my deceaſe, to have thoſe things alwayes in remembrance which you have been formerly and continually taught a1 Pet. 1. 12, 13, 14.: Divers of which you will meet with in the reading of this Book, whereof, becauſe I am willing to give you a taſte, I ſhall reckon them up unto you in that order wherein you ſhall find them hereafter handled.
Firſt, You know I have laboured much with you 1.for the reading of Scripture, and to train up your children to be able to read it; Let me now leave it with you, not only to ſet your Eyes upon this Word of God, but to ſet your Hearts unto it, and (as much as in you lies) to draw and win the hearts of thoſe belonging to you to it; for it is your life, and their life bDeut. 3…. 46, 47..
Secondly, I have taken much pains, (both publikely, 2.and from houſe to houſe cAct. 20. 20.,) to teach you, admoniſh you, and perſwade you to a reverent receiving of the Lords Supper: And now ſhall deſire you to keep in mind that which you often have been minded of, which is, that they who come to that Sacrament ſhould be before God twice; the firſt time, preparing, the ſecond time, receiving: Neglect not to prepare for Sermons (eſpecially on the Lords-Day) but double your preparation at Sacraments, becauſe there is a double work to be done, in regard of the meeting of two diſtinct Ordinances, that is, the Word and Sacrament to be partaked in together. Waſh your hearts, (as you do your Veſſels every day), but ſcour them, and make them bright for the Lords uſe on Sabbath, and Sacrament-dayes.
Thirdly, You have heard (eſpecially in late times, wherein the ſhameful and ſhameleſs miſuſing of Miniſters, 3hath enforced them to plead for their Calling, I ſay, you have heard) many things to move you to a due eſtimation of the Miniſtry; concerning which I ſhall ſay no more here, but only this; Take heed of eſteeming too much of ſuch Teachers as are not lawfully called, or too little of ſuch as are. If painful teaching be not continued unto you, remember you had it; If it be, do not deſpiſe it; If you cannot have it at home, be not content to be without it; look not one upon another, but where you ſee there is Corn, repair thither dGen. 42. 1.. Better ſtir, then ſtarve.
Fourthly, Of our Lords Sabbath-day, very much hath been ſpoken to you; the holy obſervation thereof 4being the Seed-plot and ſupport of all Piety. It is not a day of idleneſs, but of ſpiritual action eSabbatwn, non ocii, ſed ſpiritualis actionis materia eſt. Chryſoſt. Conc. 1. de Lazaro.. And you that have need to work for your Bodies and Families all the ſix dayes, have the more need to lay all other work aſide on the Sabbath-day, and to look after your ſouls; making it your great, and even your only work then, to labour, not after the food that periſheth, but the meat that endureth to everlaſting life fJoh. 6. 27.. To be very diligent all the Week dayes, and to idle out the Lords-day, is, to be good Husbands and bad Chriſtians; and ſuch bad Chriſtians are never good Husbands, for they will be undone at laſt gAmes 8. 5, 6, 7..
Fifthly, You have ſtill ſeen that I have made Catechiſing 5.your Children and Servants, one part of my work, of which I ſhall ſay but a word now, namely, that it is ſo hard a thing to get any knowledge and ſenſe of Religion into the heads and hearts of ancient people, that therein all may ſee, (and you that are Parents and Houſholders ſhould take notice of it) what a neceſſary thing it is, to begin betimes with thoſe that are young, and to inſtruct them in that knowledge and fear of God, which is the beginning of wiſdom.
Sixthly, Family-Prayer hath been often taught 6.and ſought amongſt you; for, How can Houſholders expect the protection and ſucceſs of their perſons and labours in the day, or the ſafe keeping of themſelves, their children, ſervants, and ſubſtance in the night, yea, comfort and welfare day or night, without God? or, How can they look to enjoy God without Prayer? for, He will be ſought by the Houſe of Iſrael hEzek. 36. 3…., and (we may ſay) by every houſe in Iſrael, Zech. 12. 12.
Seventhly, Repetition of Sermons amongſt you hath been my continual cuſtom; that the things publikely 7.delivered might be better underſtood, better remembred, better ſettled in your hearts; and that the power thereof might be more and better expreſſed in your lives (which, you know, hath been the uſual Prayer before Repetition).
Laſtly, I have encouraged and excited you to the duty of Singing of Pſalms; And of late, it hath been 8.my manner, in publike, to give you a ſhort Expoſition of every Pſalm, before the ſinging of it, that you might better underſtand and mind the matter contained in it.
Now, all theſe things I do here recommend unto you, and again ſet before you, becauſe ſpiritual things, though delivered often to weak hearers, are not quickly underſtood, are hardly committed to memory, are ſoon forgotten, or miſtaken; when a printed Paper may eaſily be looked upon, ſeriouſly thought upon, and by often recourſe to it, a fruitful and more full uſe, may be made of it.
And whatſoever the things I here communicate (and do, as it were, bequeath to you, as my dear children in the Lord) ſhall be found, in themſelves; yet the relation of Paſtor and People under which we ſtand (and which is now of forty and four years ſtanding), hath (I truſt) ſuch an endearment in it, as to render what I have written more profitable to you, by being more acceptable, more helpful, by being more grateful, and by your looking upon it with an Eye of Love.
Having mentioned the time of my abode among you, It ſhall not be tedious to me, nor wil it (I hope) be grievous to you, to review, and run over, in a generality, what hath paſſed in it; And therein will be found, ſomething to be obſerved and marked; ſomething to be humbled for; and ſomething to praiſe God for.
That which I invite you to take notice of, may be reduced to two heads:
Firſt, The Lords caſting my lot amongſt you, 11.and calling me to you by a more then ordinary providence: for it was by the free, and (as far as I know) unſollicited naming of me to it by a Perſon of Honour iL. Chancellor Elleſw…re.in whoſe gift it was; and the news of it was ſent unto me then, when (being a Student in Oxford) neither this, nor any other Miniſterial charge, was by me, either ſought or thought of; which I mention (and mind you of) the rather, becauſe, though I have had divers earneſt invitations to remove to other places of more publike imployment; yet Gods more then uſual Call to this Place, hath ever made me to fear to forſake it, and I have ſtill found much inward ſatisfaction in forſaking all other, and cleaving to this. For God is the wiſeſt diſpoſer of his Servants, and He knows beſt in what part of his Vineyard to place his Labourers. Yet I condemn not all removals (if they be not ſelf-removals), but ſet a mark upon ſpecial diſpoſals.
Secondly, You may not paſs over, without ſerious obſervation, another remarkable Providence which is, that whenſoever I have been forced from you, God hath provided otherwiſe for you. Twice (you remember) I have been taken off;
1. By ſuſpenſion for three years ſpace, becauſe I could not be reſolved to read the Book of Liberty for Sports on the Lords-day.
2. By the diſtractions of the late ſad times of Civil War, about ſo many years more. Yet in both theſe ſeparations from you, God ordered it ſo, that ſuch were preſent with you in all the time of my abſence and reſtraint, by whom you were diligently and profitably inſtructed; which, as it is to be marked on the one ſide, to ſhew how God provides ſupplyes in the neceſſitated abſence of Paſtors; ſo, on the other ſide, it concerns you, (unto whom this benefit hath been vouchſafed) to take notice, that, though you have not ſtill had the ſame Husbandman, yet God hath not ſuffered you to want that ſpiritual husbandry, which, if it be lacking but for a time, Bryars and Thorns grow up, and the envious man ſuddenly ſows his Tares. Remember how much you are bound to that God that hath not left you without a teaching Miniſter, and without Law k2 Chr. 15. 3.; how much you are bound to be thankful, who have had the heavenly Manna in the Wilderneſs of this World forty years, and upwards; how much you are bound to be fruitful, who have had dreſſers of the Lords Vineyards ſo many years to dig and dung, and by all means to ſeek for fruit lLuk. 13. 7, 8, 9.; and, laſtly, how inexcuſable you will be, if the door of your hearts be not opened, at which Chriſt hath ſtill ſtood knocking, four and forty years together.
In the next place, I muſt not diſſemble, that there is matter of humiliation for us on both parts: for, as 2.on my own part I willingly acknowledge much weakneſs, and want of beſtirring my ſelf among you, with that care, courage, compaſſion, diligence, and reſolution that belongs to a Paſtor; ſo you, on the other part, have cauſe to take to heart that unteachableneſs, whereby, though there hath been precept upon precept, line upon line mIſa. 28, 10., yet ſo little is learned; Not but that I think, and hope that (for the generality) it will be found, that there is more acquaintance with Religion in this, then in divers other Congregations that conſiſt of poor and unlearned people; but yet it is to be lamented, that divers know ſo little in compariſon of what they ſhould and might have known, and have much need of milk ſtill, becauſe of their unskilfulneſs in the Word of Righteouſneſs nHeb. 6. 13.. But, beſides this want of knowledge, I may ſay, My God hath humbled me o2 Cor. 12. 21.among you, and given cauſe of bewailing the great want of the power and practiſe of godlineſs. I confeſs, you have comforted me with a conformity to the Ordinances and the Exerciſes of Religion. The matter of grief is, that there hath not been, in ſome, that ſobriety in company; in others, that diligence and laboriouſneſs in their Callings; and in many, that Chriſtian patience that there ought to have been, but in ſtead thereof, many angry, and unbrotherly contentions, which is obſerved to be the diſeaſe, and is indeed, the great ſin pEph. 4. 31.and diſhonour of this place, albeit I grant, there have been, of late, more occaſions then ordinary of it; And it's true alſo, that the Devil is very buſie to make them worſt that are taught moſt: Hence it is, that it is not to be wondered at, neither is Religion, or the Profeſſion thereof, to be worſe thought of for it, if here, or otherwhere, where the Goſpel is preached, there be breakings forth not only into anger and bitterneſs, (which yet is very bad, and a giving a place to the Devil qEph. 4. 27., who plays his pranks, and works his will very much in a paſſionate heart) but alſo into far fouler evils, as ſwearing, curſing, drunkenneſs, uncleanneſs, going to Witches and Wiſards, (which is a going to Hell for help, when people be under the hand of Heaven). Theſe more hainous offences I only name to you, becauſe I believe divers, that have been guilty of ſome of them, have truly repented, and am willing to hope that others that are yet faulty in any of them, (being convinced in their Conſciences of the evil and danger of things ſo horrible, and forbearing them more then heretofore) will not only leave them altogether, but abhor them and themſelves for them: Which I deſire the Lord to give them grace to do before it be too late.
I am weary of this ſad work, and therefore ſhall add only this; It had been a happy thing (my Brethren) both to you and to me, if divers aged perſons had (as I perſwade my ſelf ſome have) become young Chriſtians, and grown ſo wiſe, as not only to live ſoberly and righteouſly (which makes them good Neighbours, but not good Chriſtians), but alſo to live godly, that is, to live according to the Word of God, and to aim in all things at the glory of God; O how little is there of this in many that are going into their grave? Nay, in ſtead of this comfort in older people, I have often, with much grief, obſerved, that by ſundry of the younger ſort, who have given ſome good hopes, in the beginning of their time, of their doing well, by their appearing in Catechiſing, Hearing, and Noting Sermons, and Reading ſomething of Scripture at home, as they have been call'd to it; yet afterwards being grown up, and come to diſcover their diſpoſitions, reading Scripture hath been laid aſide, Catechiſing ſhaken off, Noting Sermons neglected, the vain faſhions of the world followed; and ſo the upſhot and concluſion is, the living of a dull worldly life, with little ſenſe of Religion, and loſing that acquaintance with God which they ſeemed to have, or which it was hoped they would have had. The Lord open the eyes of ſuch; and, Bleſſed be God, there are divers young ones that are not ſuch.
After all this, I ſhall ſay, and may truly ſay with the Apoſtle, I write not theſe things to ſhame you, or as if I thought there were not the like (or greater) cauſe of complaint in other places; but I write them as to my beloved Sons and Daughters to warn you r1 Cor. 4. 14., and to ſtir up both my ſelf and you, that it may be yet better, by our making the beſt uſe we can of the little, and uncertain remainder of time of our being together as Paſtor and People.
I gladly paſs from this, (which is diſpleaſing to me, but I thought needful for you to affect you with your eſtate, that you might never reſt till you be in a good eſtate); And come now to the third, and more comfortable thing, which 3.is matter of Praiſing God, whereof there is much; and that, Not only becauſe I hope, and know, that the great God, (without whom, Miniſters can do nothing, are nothing ſJoh 15. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 11.,) hath been pleas'd to make my Miniſtry profitable to divers neighbouring Pariſhes (at my firſt coming hither, leſs provided for)—but eſpecially for the good effect of it among you of this Congregation; The ſame Lord of the Harveſt that hath brought (I may ſay) laborious preaching into this place, (where there was ſo little ſo long time before), hath bleſſed it here alſo ſo far as that, I doubt not, divers are gone to Heaven that have enjoyed it, and are going thither who now enjoy it; Not ſo many (God knows) as were to be wiſhed, but ſo many, as that it ſufficiently appeareth that God had a gracious work to do when he ſent his Word hither, upon the ſouls of poor people in this place.
I ſhall not here forget that which may confirm what I have ſaid, and be a ſign of the hearty entertainment of the Goſpel, which is, That you did ſo generally, lovingly, and earneſtly deſire my return unto you, after I had been for ſome longer time abſent, and when I was much deſired otherwhere; This new Invitation I took as a ſecond Call, and a new encouragement to ſettle with you: and therefore forſaking all other, I have kept my ſelf (or rather, God hath kept me) only unto you, to ſpend and be ſpent for you t2 Cor. 12. 15..
Here alſo, I do with comfort remember, your greater reſpect to the Lords-day, more knowledge of, and preparation for the Lords-Supper, then is to be found in every place where the Word hath been, together with ſome more reverence of the preſence and ſervice of God in the publike Aſſembly; you do not uſe to overrun the bleſſing (as divers that make it a common, but it is a very profane cuſtom, to go away before the Bleſſing be pronounced) but abide the whole time of divine Service; Jacob ſaid, I will not let thee go from me uGen. 32. 26.. They do well, that ſay, and reſolve, Lord, I will not go from thee, before thou bleſſe me.
But amongſt, and above divers other things, there is great cauſe of bleſſing God for your conſtancy in attending Gods Word and Ordinances in the late Erroneous and Congregation-ſcattering times, wherein ſo many Chriſtians have lamentably and fearfully faln from the truth and wayes of God, from whom, I know you have not wanted tentations to depart with them (upon the pretence of greater light, and more holineſs) from that written Word of God, which they that leave, or croſs and contemn, have no morning-light in them xIſa. 8. 20., and with a reverend and unfained reſpect whereunto, the greateſt godlineſs and holineſs is ever-joyned, for it is a doctrine according to godlineſs y1 Tim. 6. 3. Tit. 1. 1., that is, which requires true godlineſs, and ſtirs up and brings men thereunto: But by ſuch tentations many have departed. To that God be glory, who is able to keep you, and hath kept you from ſo falling, Jude, v. 24, 25.
I have little more to ſay, O that I could take off ſome of that which I have ſaid, that is, all former Complaints, by ſeeing that done at laſt, which hath not been done at firſt; I mean, by ſeeing thoſe that have lien in ignorance, become at length, knowing Chriſtians: thoſe that have been wordly minded, ſpiritual Chriſtians, thoſe that have been looſe and given to drinking, ſober Chriſtians; and thoſe who have been only ſober, truly godly Chriſtians! O that they that are old, (too like Nicodemus that dreamed of entring into his Mothers womb again) might be ſo far awakened and enlightened, as to enter (as it were) into the womb of the Church zIſa. 66. 7. 8., and know experimentally what the great myſtery of Regeneration means by having Chriſt, through the travail of the Miniſtery formed in them aGal. 4. 19.to the glory of God, the ſealing of the Miniſtry, and the ſalvation of their pretious Souls in the day of Jeſus Chriſt, unto which they do ſo much haſten, and for which they muſt prepare now, or periſh then.
And (to ſpeak yet again) O that you that are younger, would make conſcience of remembring your Creator in the dayes of your youth bEccl. 12 1., and make it your buſineſs to grow in grace as you grow in years, not being ever the elder, the lower, but the taller Chriſtian! It's a miſerable thing when a young man grows in nothing but in height, or in hair, (O how that grows in theſe diſſolute dayes!), or in ſtrength, or in wit, without having the wit to grow in the knowledge and fear of God: I ſay, this is a miſerable and moſt dangerous thing; for young men may die as well as old; if the Tower of Siloe fall, it kills the youngeſt on whom it falls, as well as the oldeſt cLuk 13. 4.. In thoſe lead-mines wherein many of you labour, how many younger and ſtronger men have periſhed on a ſudden? Now, if they that dye (whether they be old or young) do not live in Jeſus while they live, how ſhall they die in Jeſus d1 Theſſ. 4. 14.—17.when they die? and then, how ſhall they live with him when they are dead? And, Is it your mind, that the Lord Jeſus ſhould be in one place and you (when you are dead, and may die to morrow) in another, and that a contrary place, He in glory, and you in torment, and that for evermore? Beloved, I am perſwaded better things of you, and pray for better things in you; even things that accompany Salvation; though (becauſe I would have you to hear) I thus ſpeak eHeb. 6. 9..
I ſhall ſpeak but once more, and I hope they that hear worſt will hear me; Are you ſure there is an Heaven? Do you believe there is an Hell? Do you know the Soul is Immortal and never dieth as the Body doth? And are you further perſwaded, that where this never-dying Soul lodgeth and lyeth the firſt night after your death, (whether it be in Heaven or in Hell) there it and you muſt lodge for ever? I ſay, Do you think all theſe things to be true? Let me then beſeech you to ſhew your ſelves Chriſtians, or to ſhew your ſelves Men fIſa. 46. 8., and live not ſecurely in that looſe courſe, walk not ſtubbornly in that wide way, which will certainly bring to the worſe place; but, on the contrary, Strive to enter in at the ſtraight-gate, and go in that narrow way (though it be againſt the hair, I mean, your own corrupt and undoing hearts) by walking wherein, you ſhall aſſuredly come at laſt to the better place, and poſſeſs that everlaſting life, which is the gift of God, through Jeſus Chriſt gRom 6. 23.our Lord.
For this purpoſe I have written theſe following Directions and Admonitions, as not knowing what Guides, or Goads hEccl. 12. 11.you will have, unto that which is good, when I am gone; but the better you obſerve theſe and all other godly Inſtructions, the more hope you may have to have more of them, mean-while I leave theſe with you: which, if you have not other helps, will be the more needful; and, if you have other helps, will make them the more uſeful.
That I might be more profitable to you, I have endeavoured plainneſs; yet, I confeſs, there is not ſo much of it as I intended or deſired: for all men have not that gift of making known their mind to others in a plain and familiar way; And, (beſides that), ſomething muſt be yielded to more ripe Readers; and, in divers things, the matter hath carryed me above the capacity of many of you; but the better uſe you make of that which you do underſtand, the ſooner you will underſtand the reſt; and you being acquainted ſo long with my way of teaching, and manner of ſpeaking, may know and find out (better then others) what my meaning is.
To conclude, Remember, that what our Saviour long ſince ſaid to prove himſelf the Meſſiah, is fulfilled to you, which is this, The poor have the Goſpel preached to them iMat. 11. 5. foreign, with Luk. 4. 18., or they are the perſons that are Goſpel-lized, that is, the Goſpel is theirs with all the comforts of it; but know alſo, that this is not meant of the poor in ſtate only, but (which a poor ſtate oft is, and ever ſhould be, an help unto) of thoſe that are poor in ſpirit kMatth. 5. 3., that (though they have lived honeſtly among their neighbours) ſee themſelves undone without a Saviour; and therefore when they have little or nothing elſe (or whether they have or no) make ſure to have Him; labour you to be in the number of thoſe that are thus ſpiritually poor, (as by the providence of God, many of you are outwardly low). It's a lamentable thing when they that have little in this world, ſhall have nothing in the world to come, not ſo much as a drop of water to cool their tongue in that place of torment lLuk. 16. 24.. That it may not be ſo with you, Let me beſeech you to ſtudy your Souls, to eſteem the words of Gods mouth (whether you read them, or hear them m2 Chr. 36. 12.,) more then your neceſſary food nJob 23. 12.; to account one thing neceſſary, which is to ſit at Jeſus feet, and hear his Word from thoſe whom he ſends to ſpeak to you oLuk. 10. 39, 41. with Luk. 10. 16.. This will not hinder you from labouring for your living, for the Word of Chriſt binds you to it pEph. 4. 28., but it's neceſſary to know there is a more neceſſary labour, that is, to know what God would have done firſt, and to do it after; For your aſſiſtance wherein, I deſire you to make conſcience of the holy Exerciſes of Religion which are here commended unto you, that ſo you may be furniſhed for bringing forth the fruits of godlineſs in your whole converſation; Conſider what I have ſaid, and the Lord give you underſtanding in all things q2 Tim. 2, 7., and ſo bleſs unto you theſe, and all other Inſtructions, that you may thrive in knowledge, grow in grace, and perſevere in faith and obedience, that I may rejoyce in you, and you in me in the day of the Lord Jeſus r2 Cor. 1. 14. Phil. 2. 16.. Unto whom I commend you, and to the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are ſanctified ſAct 20. 32..
And ſo remain, Your intirely-well-wiſhing Paſtor, willing to ſpend, and be ſpent, and now almoſt ſpent, with and for you, William Thomas.