Dirrll. 18. Dirc{/.19· Dircll. >O· How to JPend ewry Day. 9· 17. Direct. 17. In the evmiift, remm to the iPorjhipping of God, in the family and ; 11 {tcret 4 dirdJcd_ for the momittg: And do_ all with fer~ou~nefs as ~n the fight of God, and in the fr:nfe of y~~: nectfTiues; and_ make 1t your 'Cl.cl;gh_t to recetve mfiruCbons from the holy Scripture, and praife God and call upon h1s name through Cimll. ) ~. 18. Direct. I 8. I~ you have ~~y extraordinary impediment/ one day to binder you in your duty to God and maH, mak._e tt up by dthgcnce the next: And if you bavc any extraordinary helpi, m.Jk,_t ufe oftbtm, a1~d let tbem not overjlip you. As if it b~ a Led:urc-day, or a funeral Sermon, or you l~ave opportunH~ ~f co~vcrfe wuh men of cxtraordmary worth ; or if it be a day of humilia~ t1on o_~ thank~gtvmg: Jt rnly be exp<:Cb.:d that you gather a double meafure of fircngrh by fu,h ex– rraordlllaty help~. 9· 19. o ;:c6t. '9· Bcf~rt yore btta~ your fe!vu to flccp, it i1 ordi11arily a {aft and needful cour{e, tn t~k._e a re~uw rf the ADw11 and f.-fcrcus of the paji d..ty: that )'OU m1y be [peciaUy tbaHkf.tl joJr all fp(cul mrrct:s, .and bumbltd for )' lttr fins, and m1y renew your repentance aild rrfolutions fur ubedie11ce; and m~y r.Y.lrmne )O.:tr ftlvcs, rvhetber y1ur {rmls grvw better or ,wor{e, a11d whether fin go dawn, and grace ti!crea[r, awl wbetber you are any betltr prep.Jred for fieffert~tgs and de.Jtb. But yet wafte not too much time in the ordinary accoums of your life, as thofe that neglect their duty while they are eXamining (hemfdvcs how they perform ir, and perplexing themfelvts wi(h the long perufal of their ordinary infirmities. But by a general (yet fincere ) repentance,, bewail your unuoidable daily failings, a•1d have recourfe eo Chnll for a daily pardon and rertcwl!d grace: And in cafe of txtravr.. dinar/ finr or merciu, .be fure to be_ extr.Jordinarily humbled or thattlfful: Some think i.r bell t? keep a datly Catalogue or Dmrnal of rheu fins and mercin. If you do {o, be not too particular m the cnumera(ion of thofe d1at are the maner of every daycs return: For it will be but a tempcation to wane your time, and negleB: grcarer duty, and to make you grow cufiomary and fenflefs of fitcb Jint and mercies, when the fame come to be recited over and over from day to day. But let the common mercies be more generally rer:orded, and the common fins generally conftfft:d (yet nei– ther of them therefore flighred: ) and let the extra~rdinary merciet, and greater fint, have' a more puricUln obt'ervarion. And .yet remember, that finr and merder which it is not fit that others be ac– quain(ed with, 'an-fafc!yer committed to memory, than to writing: And mcthinks a well humbled and a thankful hearr, fhould not cafily let the memoryof them flip. 9· 20· Dirc.d:. 20· JYbm )Ju compofe your [elver t•oflecp, agaiH commit your [tlver to God throagh Cbriji, and cr:Jve hii prott{iicn, and clofi up the d;y with {ome holy cx.zrcife of FtJith and Love: And Jf you are perfons thar mull needs lye waking in the night, let your meditations be holy, and excrci[ed upon rhac fubjdi rhar is prorirablefl to your fouls. llut I cannot give this as an ordinary diretiion, becaufe that the body mull have fleep, or elfe it will be unfir for labour, and all rhoughts of holy things mull be ferious: and all ferious thoughts will hinder fleep: and rhofe that wake in rhe night, do wake unwillingly, and would not put themfelves out ofhopes of fleep, which fuch ferious medira– tions would do. Nor con I advife you (ordinarily ) to rife in the night to prayer, asrhe Papills Votaries do. 'for this is but to [erve God with irrational and hurtful c~remony: ( And it is a won– der how far fuch men will go in Ceremony; that will not be: drawn to a life of Love and fpiritual Worfhip!) Unlefs men did irrationally place the fervice ofGod in praying this hour rather than anoth<r,' they might fee how improvidently and finfully rhey lofe their time; in twice~relliog and undrc lling, and in rhe inrervals of their fleep, when they might fpare all rhlt time, by hrting up rhe longer, or rifing the earlier, for the fame employment. Befides what tendency it hath to the defiru· tl:ion of heal!h, by cold and interruption of nccdfary reil : when God apprcverh not of the di(– ablino of tl1e body, or ddlroying our healrh, or £harming life (no more than of murder or cruelty to orhers), but only calle1h us ro deny our unnecdfary fenfual delighrs, and ufc rhe body fa as it may be moll ferviceablc to the foul and him. . I have briefu' laid together thefe twenty Directions for the right fpending of every day, that thole that need them, iiOd cannot remember the larger more particular Directions, may at lcatl get. t_hefe few engraven on their minds, and make t_hem the daily .praCtice of.their 1iv~s; which if yo~ Will fin– cerely do, you cannot cone<ive how much It will conduce to the holmefs, fruufulnefs and qutetnefs of your lives, and to your peaceful and comfo~~le death. CHAP.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=