As you sing behave yourselves in comely reverence as in the sight of God, singing to God in God’s own words; but be sure that the matter make more melody in your hearts (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16) than the music in your ear. For the singing with grace in our hearts is that which the Lord is delighted withal.… Read More The Manner of Psalm Singing
Hunger is like the sickness called a wolf; which, if thou dost not feed, will devour thee, and eat thee up; and that meat and drink are but as physic, or means which God hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity and necessity of man. Use, therefore, to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature, than to satisfy the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat, therefore, to live, but live not to eat. There is no service so base, as for a man to be a slave to his belly; the apostle terms such, belly-gods (Phil. 3:19). And as no one action (God’s ordinances excepted) makes a man more to resemble a beast, than eating and drinking, so the abuse of eating and drinking to surfeiting and drunkenness, makes a man more vile than a beast.… Read More Practical Religion At Meals
Fly with Joseph from all sins, as well those that are secret in the sight of God, as those that are manifest in the eyes of men. For God, as he is just, without speedy repentance will bring the secret sins, as he did David’s, to the open light, before all Israel, and before the sun (2 Sam. 12:12). Be therefore as much afraid of secret sins as of open shame (Luke 8:17; 12:2). And so avoid all in general, as that thou dost not allow to thyself any one particular or darling sin, which the corruption of thy nature could best agree withal (Prov. 5:8; 6:27); for the crafty devil can hold a man’s soul as fast by one as by many sins; and faster by that one which pleases thee, than by all those which begin to be abominable to thee. And as thou desirest to avoid a sin, so be careful to shun the occasion.… Read More How To Govern Your Actions
Remember, that thou must answer for every idle word, that in multiloquy, the wisest man shall overshoot himself. Avoid, therefore, all tedious and idle talk, from which seldom arises comfort, many times repentance: especially beware of rash answers, when the tongue outruns the mind. The word was thine whilst thou didst keep it in; it is another’s as soon as it is out. O the shame, when a man’s own tongue shall be produced a witness, to the confusion of his own face! Let, then, thy words be few, but advised; forethink whether that which thou art to speak be fit to be spoken; affirm no more than what thou knowest to be true; and be rather silent than speak to an ill, or to no purpose.… Read More How To Govern Your Tongue
Having begun thy day in the morning, keep all the day after as diligent a watch as thou canst over all thy thoughts, words, and actions, which thou mayest easily do, by craving the assistance of God’s Holy Spirit, and observing these few rules: First, How to guide thy thoughts.… Read More How To Govern Your Thoughts
When such thoughts come into thy head, either to keep thee from prayer, or to distract thee in praying, remember that those are the fowls which the evil one sends to devour the good seed [Mat. 13:19], and the carcasses of thy spiritual sacrifices—but endeavour with Abraham, to drive them away (Gen. 15:11).… Read More Motivations To Set Aside Time For Prayer
Content not yourself with that formal religion which unregenerate men have framed to themselves, instead of sincere devotion; for in the multitude of opinions, most men have almost lost the practice of true religion. Think not that you are good enough, because you do as the most, and are not so bad as the worst. No man is so wicked that he is addicted to all kind of vices, for there is an antipathy between some vices; but remember that Christ says, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat. 5:20). Consider with yourself how far you come short of the Pharisees, in fasting, praying, frequenting the church, and giving of alms: think with yourself how many pagans who never knew baptism, yet in moral virtues and honesty of life, do go far beyond you—where is then the life of Christ your master? And how far are you from being a true Christian?… Read More An Exhortation To True Piety
The hope of long life is an hindrance to piety. For, were it possible that a wicked man thought this year to be his last year, this month his last month, this week his last week—he would change and amend his wicked life. He would use the best means to repent, and to become a new man. But as the rich man in the gospel promised himself many years to live in ease, mirth, and fullness (Luke 12:19-20), when he had not one night to live longer: so many wicked epicures falsely promise themselves the age of many years, when the thread of their life is already almost drawn out to an end. So Jeremiah ascribes the cause of the Jews’ sins and calamities to this, that she remembered not her last end (Lam. 1:9).… Read More The Hope of Long Life: A Hindrance to Piety
Hindrances to piety: Evil examples of men; Temporary prosperity of the wicked; Presumption on God’s mercy; Bad company; Worldly joy and peace.… Read More Five Hindrances To True Piety
The first hindrance of piety is an ignorant mistaking of the true meaning of certain places of the holy Scriptures, and some other chief grounds of Christian religion. The grounds of religion mistaken are these: Justification by faith alone; Predestination; Free will; Original sin; Free offer of the gospel, etc.… Read More Eight Commonly Misunderstood Bible Doctrines
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