The Sacred Diary, Section 1 – Section 3
SECT. I. The Introduction to this Work.
IT is good for Man to draw near to God, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith concerning himſelf, Pſal. 73. ult. This Gloſs put upon any thing, commends it unto Man; for naturally ſince the Fall there is ſo much left in Man, that he hath an inclination to that which is good; but when he cometh to particulars, here is the Miſtake, he ſeeks Light in the way of Darkneſs, and Happineſs in the way of Miſery, and Life in the way of Death, being hurried the contrary way by the violence of his impetuous Luſts. But yet there is a natural tendency in all Men to that which is good, (as ſome of the Heathen have obſerved) from the Principles of Nature, there remaining this general Foundation of Religion in all Men. Good hath a magnetick Force, and is of a drawing Nature, and anſwerable to the Diſcovery of Good or Evil in the Underſtanding, there is an Embracing or Averſation in the Will of Man, which is that part in the Soul of the Man that cleaveth unto Good diſcovered. It is good to draw near to God, who is ſummum Bonum, the chiefeſt Good. The Goodneſs of a thing is the Reaſon why we deſire it. It is the Philoſophers Definition of Good, That is Good which all things do deſire. Bonum eſt quod omnia appetunt.Now then, what is more deſi…ble is more excelling in Goodneſs, and what is chiefly deſirable is the chiefeſt Good. All Creatures do naturally deſire their chief Good, their Happineſs, their Perfection. And it is the Happineſs of Man to draw near to God, his Creator.
The Mind of a Chriſtian may ſometimes ſlip from God, and for a time be taken up with other things, but it cannot long be kept from him, becauſe God is its Center; and it is as natural for a Spiritual Mind to move towards God, as for a Needle touched with the Loadſtone to point towards the North Pole. I have ſet the Lord always before me, ſaith David, Pſal. 16.8. Where God hath no place in our Minds, we have no Intereſt in him. A pious and devout Man muſt be continually with God. If the hungry Man cannot forget to eat, nor the thirſty Man to drink, then cannot a Man forget God. Who lives under a continual ſence of the want of God, his Soul is ſtill breathing and panting after God. Love cauſeth an emiſſion of the Thoughts, it will not ſuffer him to dwell at home, but to be where it is beſt of all to be. There's a Neceſſity a Man ſhould mind what he moſt affecteth, and a Man that loveth God cannot live in a Courſe of Forgetfulneſs of God; either (as an holy Man noteth) Want brings him, or Love conſtrains him, or Chriſt draws him; and Chriſt will not be long from his; if their Hearts come not up to him, he will come into them; and if he be there, all is taken up with attending upon him.
SECT. II. A Soliloquy at Waking.
HOw pretious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the Sum of them! &c. When I awake, I am ſtill with thee, Pſal. 139.17, 18. O God, thou art my God, early will I ſeek thee, my Soul thirſteth for thee, my Fleſh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirſty Land, where no Water is; To ſee thy Power and thy Glory, ſo as I have ſeen thee in the Sanctuary. Becauſe thy Loving-kindneſs is better than Life, my Lips ſhall praiſe thee. Thus will I bleſs thee while I live, I will lift up my hands in thy Name. My Soul ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow and fatneſs, and my Mouth ſhall praiſe thee with joyful Lips; when I remember thee upon my Bed, and meditate on thee in the Night-watches. Becauſe thou haſt been my Help, therefore in the ſhadow of thy Wings will I rejoice. My Soul followeth hard after thee, thy right hand upholdeth me, Pſal. 63.1, to 9. O God, my Heart is fixed; I will ſing and give praiſe, even with my Glory. Awake Pſaltery and Harp, I my ſelf will awake early; or in the Morning, [I will be up firſt, and raiſe the Morning out of its Bed, that I may come to the Celebration of thy Praiſes]; Pſal. 108.1, 2. My Soul waiteth for thee, O Lord, more than they that watch for the Morning, I ſay, more than they that watch for the Morning, Pſal. 130, 6. [He waited for the Lord more than they that watch for the Morning] either (as one Expoſitor ſaith) more than they who in the Sanctuary of the Lord heedfully obſerv'd the Morning watch, that they might offer the Morning Sacrifice in due ſeaſon; or more than they that are appointed to keep watch all Night, do watch and long for the Morning, as another Expoſitor hath it.
SECT. III. Directions how to begin the Day.
GIve GOD your firſt waking Thoughts: Suffer no Wordly Thought to enter, till God firſt come in. The Firſt-fruits of the Mouth and of the Heart are to be offered unto God, Primitiae oris & cordis Deo offerendae. Ambroſ. in Pſal. 119.ſaith St. Ambroſe. So all evil and vain thoughts either will not dare to intrude, or ſhall more eaſily be kept out. The Mind of Man is never idle, it will be always active, either about God or the World, Chriſt or Vanity, Good or Evil. It is always buſied in thinking, deviſing, pondering, on ſomewhat or other. Therefore it is neceſſary, that firſt of all in the Morning we ſet our Minds to the Meditation of Divine and Heavenly Objects. How will the Devil buſy himſelf in injecting Multitudes of other thoughts into your Minds, to divert your Minds from the ſweet Meditation of God, if you give not God your waking thoughts? Multitudes of thoughts will run into your Minds, like People running to a Bull-baiting, or to ſee ſome ſtrange Sight, but you muſt watch againſt them, and drive them away, as Ahraham did the Fowls from his Sacrifice.
2. Lift up your Hearts to God in a reverent manner, and give him thanks for the reſt of the Night paſt, that his Compaſſions have not failed you, but are renued every Morning, that even in the Night you have received an apparent Evidence of his Love, and whereas for your Sins committed the day before, God might even in the dead of Sleep have taken your Souls from you, and ſo have ſuddenly brought you to your account, bleſs him that it hath been his good pleaſure yet to ſpare you.
3. If God's Glory be dear unto you, you will or ought to begin every Day in this manner, before you do any thing, by offering to God's Glory what ye are about to do, ſetting before him premeditately the Actions of the enſuing Day, in this or the like manner,
My God, whatſoever I ſhall this day ſpeak or do, yea, whatſoever I ſhall think, I offer wholly to thee; theſe Prayers, theſe Meditations, theſe Alms, theſe Devotions, this Faſting, theſe Works, theſe Buſineſſes, theſe Actions, theſe my Affairs, I dedicate and conſecrate unto thee, nor deſire I any thing elſe, than what I ſhall perform this day may turn to thine Honour.
How ſweet is it in the beginning of the day, before a Man takes any new Matter in hand, to lift up his Heart to God, and to ſay thus within himſelf, Lord, I will undertake this or that Action by thy help, and for thee this day, for thee will I labour, I will think this for thee, for thee now will I hold my peace, and now I will ſpeak for thy Honour and Glory; I will caſt my ſelf on thee for the following Day.
Uſe your ſelves conſtantly to this Courſe, that your Conſciences may check you when you neglect it. Such a conſtant Courſe will keep off divers Temptations that may otherwiſe ſurprize you, and engage your Hearts to God for all the day following.