Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

Pro"J. IIol· Prav. '2 8. P[t,!, t 26 s. Job 14. s. Q@cl'litatton. gl{J•~·mg b1i1niag Eajhvind be on all thefe .th;n;y~ 0 confider now the 'Vtmity, the . tranjitarincfs vf eartr1ly rrchcJ! UJin not againjl prov~dence mJ:tk.;~g great thingsfor thy[elf:. Jer. 45 . ..:t. 5. H'(J.U tYoMldjf thou ba-ue a_ profperous condznon m. t!. tzmc tf pubttel'._dej{Jlation? Why rhu tJ ,.;.s if a man jiJOuldbe plammg]iowers, lVhen thereu a glowmg bJtrnmg E.1jlwmduont forth to IJiaft them. ~ +· Upon the occofions of the day, ~!editate, how the Lord feeth thee, and undcr– flandcth all thy thoughts, and IS acquamted with all thy ways: The eyes of the Lord rJt:'t to ~nd[1·o rhro~tghottt ~he whole earth, to fbew himfelfftrong i~ behalfof them _, u:hofe heart ., perfeEt to wards hun,and therefore thou !houldft do all thmgs as m the awfulprefencc of thy God. . . + Upon our particular callings we may accordingly meditate; as-- 1. AMagiltratc, thus, As I judge others, fo tvi/1 the Lord judge rm; it 1~ill not be long ere deaJIJ arreft, and I nmftgo lVtthout-ba:l: Me thmks I hrnr tbat found m mine e11rs [ haveJaidJe r<re gods; butye jludl die lzk.f men. . .: 2. AMini!l:cr, thus; The time I have to fpend is not mine, but the peoples; Me thir.i.J whtlcs I idle it mvay, I hear them crying after me, to your chfet, end there pray for"' that 1rc perifllnol;ftudy for us,that we may learn ojyo1s hotv to walk)n hispllths;for ijrve periflJ, and yo1s will not give warning, tben mnfl our blovdbe ,-cquircdat your hands. 3 ATradefman, thus; Jlfhat u that ballance in m jl,.p, bm a memento ofdiftribJttive and commutative Jnftice ? ifmy deali11gs be not juft to a pomt orpir~, Ijl~a/1 then be weighed in Gods bal/ana, a11d be found ;oo light: A faliC ballance isan abomination to the Lord, a:Jdfo is a tnec ba/lance, without true dealing with all men. . 4· An Husbandman, thus; As I (owe infpri~g,Jo Jrcap in !J.zrveft, and Goahathfaid, He that foweth iniquity, !hall reap vanity :but they that fowi: in tcars,!hall reap in joy· L ord, whiles 1 {owmuars, give me April-flJowers cf reptntane-·e, that 1vhen the h~trvcj} comes, and the .Angels umft reap, they maygather me imo thybarifc of !Jcavcn. 5. ASouldier, thus; Whattrade isthis I follolV? r.'hat devices are thrfe I carry ahout me to nmrthcr afar off.? Jvhofe image do I bear in th:s k.!lling difpgjilion, but his whofo true title is , The Ddhoyer? I had need look about"" that I be'" a righteous caufe ; I am Jure, all the titles ofU'{JdJo~tnd ofmercy andgracioiU rrJPeflJ to man, God the Father is hr1 Mak.fr and Pre{tFJer, (iod the Son his Saviour and Redeemer, God the Holy Ghoft his San£ltjier and Comforter: 0 Lord, that my enemies may be thy enemies, and my caufe thy caufe, or that I may leave thut·a/ling. . 5. Upon night approaching, meditate, That feeing Ollr dayes arc determined, and the number of our moneths are with the Lord, and our boundJ are appointed rvhich we canntJt pajJc, that one day more ofour limited time i1 gone and pajf,and we are now nearer to onr end by a day than 1ve were in the moming. 6. Upon occafion of lights brought in, meditate, if the light ofapoor candlebefo com– fortable, which is nothing bi<t a little enflamed aire,gathered about a moyftenedfnnjf,What i& the light •fthat gloriotuSnn, thegreat L"mp ofHu<ven? but IIJJtch more, 1~hat u the light ofthat infinitely rrjjdcndem Sun ofRighteo#[neffe, 1rhogave that light to the ,Sun, and that S1m to the world ? 7· Upon the fight of a bright sky full of ftars,mcdltate;How worthy a.Science it is to fce and obj<rve thoft goodly Jpa,gles of light above oHr heatis, their places, q~talities, motwm? But the imployment ofa Chriftian isfarrc more noble, hca7Jen is opnt unto him, and be can look_bey01ad the vail, nndfee further above thofe ftar!, then it is thither, and th<re difcerne thofe glories, thAt may aJtfwer tofo rich a pavement: I fee indeed thofegl~ttcring gLoriw.o ftars, with my bodily eyes; but I fee withal by the eyes of myfaith, that thu isbHt the floor ofthat goodly fabrick_, the outward curtain ofthAt glorio1es tabern"cle: I fee within that incomprehenjible.light, which none can fee awd not be blcffed : How many pre thefefiar~ befure my eye! ! b11t Oh ! what milli~m ofpure and nMJeJiical A ngels ? what millions of happy andglorified Souls i how many manjions ofmy Father (oneof them bemg my own) do 1 fee by Faith ? Comedowne no more ( 0 myfoul!) after thou haft once pzrched upon this heavenly glory; or if thisjlejh force thy de{cent, be unqmet fill thou art let lo•fe to tm- · Mortality. . Thus from our up·rifing to our down.lying, we may upon every objetl: prefented to our fenfcs, frame a fudden or occajiOflal MeditRriop. SECT. 4- .

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