Corn.4. .. of fanciifying the day, Chap.6. it muft.be our duty to blow the fpark, and look it gonot out. Qenck not the Spi,- Thcff5.19. tit, faith. theApoftle : God will not give the fpark, if we do not prepare matter ; and though we prepare matter, yet it will not burn, unlefs God kindle the fire : "'fo that the Holy Ghoit , . and by confequence fanctification, is not got by followingtitie devifes of our own brain : ye (hall not do that which is goo:i in your own eyes, Deuca a.8, (faith G,od) but acsordivto the prefeript methodwhich God hath fet down , we mutt gather matter tor'.this;heavenlyfpark, which the e ioly Ghof muff fet on fire, and this. is done by attending to the duties of publick worfhip on that day : for if any Ihall wilfully keep.at home on that day, though hebe never fo well occu- pied, having no juit.cauioof his ab:ence fromGods houfeaand yet thinks he pleafes God, the:Fathers of that:ancientCouncil of Gffvgea, have pronounced an Anathema call. air. againft'hien . For the means to fanfifrcation, the fpecial duties and a?1s wherein the fanftifica- The duty of tion öf. theday confiíts, no other directions can be given, than what we formerly faríhfrasiou. gave for the means to attain knowledge, only we premife that which Saint Áaguffine' faith of iteration, that a man may fay, Demme (cis; quiddixi, Domino fete quid ire- ravi, Dosehne.' fcia quiet eontef}atuu float : Lord, thou knowê l have fanlified thyName, becaufe I have preached it; Lord, thöu knoweft I have fpoken of itagain andagain; Lord, thou knoweft 1 have been witnefs of the truth. Saint Haul attributeth famltification of every thing to prayer premifed ; and there- fore it is-termed the preparative toall the duties of a Chriftian e more plainly, ' yet. P yo r Tí3.49, Saviour very emly before day went out into a folitary puce; and there prayed, and Mir 35.39 afterward came and preached in the Synagogue, which is very. probable to have been on the Sabbathday ; wherebywe may obferve, that Chrift hinif'elf tools ,prayer to be the firft means of fanetification, r. Now for the times of this exercife of Prayer on the Lords day, they are two. r. Before the other publick duties; and, 2. After. T. That before is]either pri- vate, as a Malter of hisFamily. 2. Or elfe in the Congregation, which is publick: Both which the Pfalmilt comprehendeth in one verfe,,.1 =Larne to the Lord smith mywhole heart, fecretly among the faithful, there's:rhe:firft; and in the congre- gation, there's the lait. r. Concerning the firft, we fee in theplace before quoted that our Saviour went out into a folitary place, as afro elfewhere. As loon as he had Yfal.nr.0 fcnt themultitude away , he departed into a mountainsoepray. 2. For the other, A:66,3 we maygatherout of that place in the Ails, that amodgft the veryHeathen the re- r corr4,16. ligious Helm-lifts (which were called a Ch'ser', which were a kind of Profelytes that worfhipped the God of Ifrael) ufed to alfemble themfelves,to pray.by-a:riversfide. But more plainly, the Apoille faith, that to the prayers of the congregation every one fhould join his own Armen. Again, Prayer is to be ufed after. For as we arenot fit to receive any fpiritual a. grace before without it, "fo neither to keep it after ; the Devil will take the wordout Numb2.:4:; of our hearts, after we have heard it, unlefs we delire of God that it may remain with us, and feek his bleflìng that the feed may fruftifie. And this Was iñtthe Law to come from the Pilefts mouth ; The Lord blefs thee andkeep thee : By vertue where- of the Devil will lofe hispower in taking the word out of our hearts, but it ihallcon. Luk 8.12. tinue with us, and frurlifie in us. 2. The fecond is the word, which is magnified or fan&ifiedby God for our fancdi- rGr .Word. Station; for as the Prophet faith, God hath magnified the Law, that is, his Word, Gfay 4au. and made it honourable; and elfewhere plainly the hearing of the Word is made one end of' publickAlfemblies': Gather me the people together, (faith God) and I will make them hear my words. Now the Word upon theSabbath hath a double fife : r. Firft, as it is read, or heard read only. 2. And fecondly, as it is preached, or heard preached. t. For the firlt, the Church in great wifdom a'ways thought it moft conveni- ent and necefiary, that reading fhould precede preaching, that when it fhould be preached it might not teem ftrange to them that heard it. But as that is thought a thing fit by the Church , fo would it be no lefs expedient, that before we come to Church we fhould meditate on it : yet fuch is our wretchleffnefs in matters fpi- ritual, that we think we have done enough ifwe can apprehend it when it is read; Whereas if we would meditate onit before hand, we might make the better ufe of
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