Chapter 2 - Sovereign Truth Ministries

Section 1a. How to Awake with God

    1. In the instant of awaking let you heart be lifted up to God with a thankful acknowledgement of His mercy to you. For it is He that gives His beloved sheep, Psalm 127:2; who keeps you both in soul and body while you sleep, Proverbs 6:22; who renews His mercies every morning, Lamentations 3:22,23. For, while you sleep, you are as it were out of actual possession of yourself, and all things else. Now, it was God that kept you, and all that you had, and restored them again, with many new mercies, when you awaked.

    2. Arise early in the morning, (if you be not necessarily hindered) following the example of our Saviour Christ, John 8:15, and of the good matron in the Proverbs, Proverbs 31:15. For this will usually much conduce to the health of your body, and the prosperity, both of you temporal and spiritual state; for hereby you will have the day before you, and will gain the best, and the fittest times for the exercises of religion, and for the works of your calling.

    3. In the time between your awakening and arising (if suitable thoughts offer not themselves) it will be useful to think upon some of these: I must awake from the sleep of sin, to righteousness, Ephesians 5:14, 1 Corinthians 15:34; as well as out of bodily sleep, unto labour in my calling. The night is far spent, the day is at hand, I must therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light, Romans 13:11-13. I must walk honestly as in the day. I as in it, as well as by the light of grace and knowledge, to arise and walking in it. Think also of your awakening out of sleep of death, and out of the grave, 1 Corinthians 15:55; at the sound of the last trumpet, 1 Thessalonians 4:6; even of your blessed resurrection unto glory, at the last day. It was one of David's sweet thoughts (speaking to God) When I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness, Psalm 17:15

    4. When you arise, and dress yourself, lose not that precious time (when your mind is freshest) with impertinent and fruitless thought, as is the custom of too many to do. This is a fit time to think upon the cause why you have need of apparel: namely, the fall and sin of your first parents, which from them is derived to you. For before their fall, their nakedness was their comeliness, Genesis 1:31, and seeing it, they were not ashamed, Genesis 2:25. It will likewise be to good purpose to consider what the wise providence of God has appointed to be the substance of you apparel. The rinds of plants, the skins, hair or wool of brute beasts, and the bowels of the silkworm; the very excretions and superfluous apparel of unreasonable creatures. Which, as it does magnify the wisdom, power and goodness of God, in choosing, and turning such mean things to such excellent use; so it should humble and suppress the pride of man. For what man in his senses would be proud of the badge of his shame, even that of apparel, for which (under God) he is beholden even to plants and beasts?

Section 1b. Suitable Reflections on Apparel, and Rules concerning it

    Now also is a good time to call to mind what rules are to be observed, that you may dress yourself as becomes one that professes godliness:
    1. That your apparel, for matter and fashion, do suit with your general and specific calling, 1 Timothy 2:9,10, and with you estate, sex, and age, Deuteronumy 22:5.
    2. That your apparel be consistent with health and comeliness, 1 Corinthians 6:14,15, 1 Corinthians 7:23.
    3. That you rather go with the lowest, that with the highest of your state and place.
    4. That the fashion be neither strange, immodest, singular, nor ridiculous, Zephaniah 1:8.
    5. That you be not over curious, or over long, taking up to much time putting it on.
    6. Neither the making nor the wearing of your apparel, must savour pride, lightness, curiosity, lasciviousness, prodigality, or base covetousness. Isaiah 3:18. But it must be such as becomes holiness, wisdom, and honesty, and such as it well reported of, Philippains 4:8, 1 Corinthians 6.
    7. Follow the example of those of your rank and means, who are most sober, most frugal, and most desecrate.

    While you dress yourself, it will be seasonable and profitable, by this occasion, to raise you thoughts, Revelation 3:18; and fix them upon that apparel which does clothe and adorn your inward man, 1 Peter 3:4, which is spiritual, and of a divine matter, which never be out of fashion, which never wears out, but is always the better for the wearing. Think thus: If I go naked without bodily apparel, it will be to the shame of my person, and to the hazard of my health and life. But how much more will the filthy nakedness of my soul appear to the eyes of men, of angels and of God Himself, Revelation 3:17, 16:15; Exodus 32:25, whose eyes cannot abide filthiness, Habakkuk 1:13, whereby my soul will be exposed to most deadly temptations, and my whole person to God's most severe judgements; except I have put on, and do keep on me the while linen of Christ's spouse, the righteousness of the saints, Revelation 19:8, that is, justification by faith in Christ, and the sanctification by the Spirit of Christ?

    And because every day you will be assaulted with the world, the flesh, and the devil, you will do well to consider where you have put on, and do improve you coat of mail, that complete armour, prescribed Ephesians 6:11-18.

    When you use your looking glass, James 1:23-25, and by experience and that it serves to discover, and to direct you how to reform whatever in uncommonly, and out of order in your body; you may hereby remember the necessity and admirable use of the glass of God's word and the Gospel of Christ, both read and preached, for the good of your soul. For, this being understood and believed, does not only show what is amiss in the soul, and how it may be amended; but in some measure will enable you to amend; for it does not only show you your own face, but the very face and glory of God in Christ Jesus, which by reflection upon you, will, through the Spirit, work on you a more excellent effect that on Moses's face in the mount, Exodus 34:29,30, which yet was so glorious, that the people could not endure to behold it. For by this glory of God, which by faith you behold in the word, you will be changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Corinthians 3:18.

    Concerning these things which I have directed to be thought upon, when you arise, and put on your apparel in the morning, and those which I shall direct when you put off your apparel at night; my meaning is to to urge them as necessary, as if it were sin to omit any of these particulars: but to be used, except better come in place, as most convenient.

Section 2: Of Beginning the Day with God,
by Renewed Faith and Repentance.

    (1.) When you are thus awake, and are risen out of your bed, that you may walk with God the remainder of the day, it will be needful that you first renew your peace with God, by faith in Jesus Christ; and then endeavour to show your dutifulness and gratitude to God, by doing those works of piety, equity, mercy, and sobriety, which may any way concern you that day. For how can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3. And how can any walk with God, if he be not holy in all his conversation? You have as much cause to beware of Him, and to obey His voice, and not provoke Him who goes before you in the wilderness of this world, to guide and bring you to His heavenly kingdom, Exodus 23:20-23, as the Israelites had to beware of Him who went before them to keep them in the way, and to conduct them into the earthly Canaan, the place which He had promised and prepared for them. It was for this, that Joshua told the people, that except they would fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity, and put away their strange gods, they could not serve God, Joshua 24:14-19; they could not walk with Him. For He is (says He) a holy God; He is a jealous God: He will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sins.

    (2.) For this cause (if unavoidable necessity hinder not) begin the day with solemn prayer and thanksgiving, Psalm 92:1,2; Psalm 88:13. Before which (that these duties may be the better performance) it will be convenient, if you have time, that you prepare yourself by meditation, Lamentations 3:40,41; Job 11:13; the matter whereof should be an inquiry into your present state, how all things stand between God and you; how you have behaved since you last prayed and renewed you peace with God; what sins you have committed, what graces and benefits you want, what fresh favours God has bestowed on you, Psalm 116:1-13, since last you gave His this tribute of thanks; and how much praise and thanks you owe to Him also for the continuance of former blessings. Think also what employments you shall have that day, in which you may need his special grace and assistance. Consider likewise what ground and warrant you have to approach to the throne of grace, to ask pardon, and to hope for favour and help from God. Upon these considerations, you must seriously and faithfully endeavour, in the strength of Christ (without whom you can do nothing) to reform whatsoever you find to be amiss, Job 6:14; flying unto, and only relying upon God's mercy in Christ; to acknowledge Him in all things; and that you will now seek grace and help of Him, whereby you may walk as in His sight in all well pleasing all that day.

    To assist you therein, do thus:
    First, Lay a strict charge upon your conscience to deal impartially, plainly, and fully, in this examination and judging of yourself.
    Secondly, You should be so well acquainted with the substance and meaning of God's holy law, Deuteronomy 6:8,9, that you may be able to carry in your head a catalogue or table of the duties required, and vices forbidden, in each commandment; whereby you may try your obedience past and may set before you a rule of life for time to come.
    Thirdly, (lest the calling to mind the multitude and greatness of your sins should make you despair of God's favour) You should be so well instructed in the Christian faith, and in the principle promises of the gospel, that you may be able also quickly to call them to mind, for the strengthening of your faith and hope in God. The form of sound words in the gospel, 2 Timothy 1:13, should be familiar into you for these purposes.

    All these need not take up much time: you will find it to be time well redeemed. For, first, by such preparation you will keep yourself from that rude and irreverent thrusting yourself into God's holy presence, whereof you are warned in the Scriptures, Eccleasties 5:1,2.
    Secondly, When by this means your heart is well humbled, softened, and set right towards God, so that you can say, you regard no iniquity in your heart, Psalm 66:18; John 9:31; and when hereby you have called in your thought from straggling, and have gotten composedness of mind, and inward strength of soul (without which the arrow of prayer can never fly home to the mark) then you may approach into God's special presence with more faith and boldness; you shall be more able to utter before Him apt confessions, lawful requests, and due thanksgivings, with more understanding, more humble, more feelingly, more fervently, and with more assurance of a gracious hearing, (all which are requisite in prayer) that you could ever possibly be able to do without such preparation.
    Thirdly, This due preparation to prayer does not only fit you to pray; but is an excellent furtherance to a holy life. For it makes the conscience tender and watchful, by the daily exercise of the knowledge of the precepts and threats of the law, and the precepts and promises of the gospel; and it being enforced to examine, accuse, judge, and pass sentence, and do a kind of execution upon your sin; smiting your heart, and wounding itself with godly fear, grief, and shame, (a work to which the conscience is loth to come, till it needs must;) wherefore, to prevent all this trouble and smart, it will rather give all diligence in other acts which are more pleasing; namely, it will direct you in the ways to God, check and warn you before hand, lest you should sin; to the end that when you come to examine yourself again, it might find matter, not of grieving and tormenting, but of rejoicing and comforting your heart, which is the most proper, and most pleasing work of a sanctified conscience, 2 Corinthians 1:12. He that knows that he must be at much pains to make himself whole and clean, when he is wounded and defiled, will take the more heed lest he wound and defile himself.
    Fourthly, This due preparation to prayer, by examining, judging, and reforming yourself, does prevent God's judging you; for when you judge yourself, you shall not be judged of the Lord, says the apostle, 1 Corinthians 11:31.

    (3.) Being rightly prepared, you must draw near into God's special presence, falling low at His footstool, Psalm 95:6, representing Him to your thought as One who is in Himself, and of Himself, the only heavenly, all-knowing and almighty Majesty, Matthew 6:9, now become your loving and merciful Father, through Christ His Son your Lord: then you must pour out your soul before Him in confession your sins, 1 Samuel 1:15; and in making your desires (through the Spirit) known into Him in the name Christ, for yourself and others, in all lawful petitions and supplications, with thanksgiving, Philippains 4:6; and all this with understanding, 1 Corinthians 14:15, with the intention and full bent of the soul, James 5:16, and expectation of being heard, Mark 11:24, in due time and measure, and in the best manner.

Section 3: Further Directions Concerning Prayer

Unto the directions both for preparation to prayer and concerning prayer itself, take these cautions.

First, If it may be, omit neither the one nor the other, and let them be the first work after you are up, Psalm 5:3. But if that cannot be, because of some necessary hindrance, yet perform them so soon as you can, and as well as you can; thought you can do neither, either so soon, or so well as you would, yet omit them not altogether. Break through all seeming necessities, which will daily come in you way, to hinder and thrust ot these duties. The devil, knowing that nothing does undermine and overthrow his kingdom more than these duties performed; knowing also that the spiritual performance of them is tedious to corrupt nature, will thrust upon you seemingly necessities, so man, and so often, that if you be not watchful to gain, and to take time, breaking through all such hindrances as are not truly necessary; you will often, by the circumvention of the flesh and of the devil, be brought to an omission of preparation, or of temptations, together with a proneness to the like neglect, and a greater indisposition to these duties afterward.

Secondly, Lay not too great a task upon yourself in this preparation to prayer; I mean, so much as will take up more time that the works of your calling, and other needful affairs, will permit; but contrive and husband your time so, that every lawful business may have its own time, Ecclesiaties 3:1. God has subordained the works of your general and particular calling in such sort, that, usually, the one shall not obstruct the other.

If, through taking up too much time in preparation to prayer, and in prayer, either of them grow necessarily tedious and burdensome; Satan will circumvent you by this means, causing you out of a true weariness too much (even before you are aware) to omit them all together.

Thirdly, Whereas when you prepare yourself to pray, and when you do pray, it is lawful to think of your worldly business, to the end that you might pray for direction and for good success therein (for you may ask for your daily bread,) Matthew 6:11; you must take heed, when you think of these things, that you thoughts are not worldly through distempers and distractions about the same, Luke 12:29. For these will abate your spirituality and fervour in prayer, and will shut the ears of God against your prayer.

If you desire to know the signs and remedies of distempers and distractions about worldly things in your preparation for holy duties; by distempers, I mean, inordinate trouble about the means; and by distractions, I mean, a vexing trouble about success.

    I. As to the signs of it. You may know that you mind is distempered with worldliness (even in thinking on lawful business) when you prepare yourself to prayer, and at other seasons, by these marks:
    1. When (except in case of necessity in their apparent danger) your worldly affairs are first in your thoughts to be the matter of your meditation. For thoughts how to hallow God's name, and how His kingdom may come, and how you may do His will, should usually be in your mind, before those that concern your daily bread.
    2. When they interpose themselves, interrupt, and jostle out those good thoughts whereon you were thinking, before you have thought of them sufficiently.
    3. When your thoughts of worldly business are with greater intention of mind, than the thoughts of things spiritual and heavenly.
    4. When they last longer than such as immediately concern the glory of God, and the good of your soul: or hold you too long upon them.
   5. You may know it by the ends which you propose to yourself in your thoughts of worldly business; are then ends of your propose, only, or chiefly, that you may prevent poverty, or that you may have wherewith to satisfy your natural desires? If you propose not other, and more spiritual ends, your thoughts of them at that time, are worldly: But if your thoughts of your worldly business, be the end that you may lay them to the rule of God's word, that you may not offend Him in your labour and care about them; or that you might crave God's direction and blessing upon your said care and labour, you being spiritual in thoughts of worldly business, then your thoughts of lawful business are not distempered with worldliness.

    II. To remedy these distempered thoughts; 1st, Let a sound and clear judgement discern what is good, what is bad; also what is best, and what is least good; preferring things spiritual, heavenly, and eternal, incomparably before those which are earthly and temporal.. Make those best things your treasure, Matthew 6:21; then your heart will be chiefly set, and your thoughts will chiefly run on them; and you will be moderate in thinking of those things which are less needful.
    2. Do as a wise counsellor at law, or as a master of requests, who must hear many clients, and receive and answer many petitions. Consider whose turn it is, and what is the most important suit; and despatch them first. Let thoughts of worldly business be shut out, and made to stand a the door, till their turn come to be thought upon, and let the more excellent, and more needful be despatched first.
    3. If thoughts of the world will imprudently intrude themselves, and will not be kept out; rebuke them sharply; give them no hearing, but dishearten them, and rebuke the porter and keeper of the door of your heart; that is, smite, wound, and check your conscience, because it did not check and restrain them.
    4. In all lawful business, insure yourself fully and sufficiently to intend that one thing which you have in hand for the present, Ecclesiastes 9:10; and at all times restrain wandering thoughts as much as may be. Let your reason get such power over the fancy, that you may be able to think of what you please, when you please. You will say, "to a fickle mind this is hard, if not impossible." To this I answer, if you would not nourish and entertain evil, flying, and unseasonable thoughts when they arise; and would (as often as they offer themselves) be much displeased with them, and with yourself for them; then in time you will find it possible, and not exceedingly hard to think of what good things you would, and not of what evil things you would not.
    5. Lastly, When the time of thinking and doing of your worldly business is come, then think thereof sufficiently, and to good purpose; for then they will be the less troublesome in thrusting themselves in out of place, because it is known that in their place, they shall be fully regarded. Idleness and improvidence about these things, puts a man into straits many times, and into distempers about his worldly business, more than needs, or else would be.

You would also know when your thoughts of success in your worldly affairs are evil, together with a remedy against them.

To think, that, if you be not prudent and diligent in your calling, and that if God do not bless your diligence, you may do the works of your calling in vain, and may expect ill success; thus to think is lawful and useful. For it will excite in you a resolution to be frugal and diligent; when you have done all you can, these thoughts also will quicken you to prayer unto God for success. But if your thoughts of thriving, or not thriving, be other than these, and bring forth other effects; namely, if desires of success drive you to think of using unlawful means, for doubting that you cannot so soon, or so certainly, or not at all, speed by the use of lawful only: if it make you full of anxiety and fear, that though you use what good means you can, all will be in vain: if you be yet doubtful and take anxious thought about what you shall eat, what you shall drink, and what you shall put on, or how you and yours shall live another day, then your thoughts about success in worldly business, are worldly and distracted.

I shall speak to this sin with its remedy more fully when I write against taking care in any thing.

Yet for the present, know: All the fruit you will reap from unbelieving fears and distrusts, doubts of success, &c., will be nothing else, but a further degree of vexation of heart. For all the anxiety in the world cannot bring good success. Besides, nothing provokes the Lord to give ill success sooner, than when you nourish distrustful care.

Secondly, Consider the power and faithfulness of God, who has taken care of the success of your labour upon Himself: commanding you not to care but to cast all the are on Him, 1 Peter 5:7. If you would rest upon this, you might be secure of good success in your outward state, even according to your desire; or else God will more than recompose the want thereof, bu causing you to thrive, and to have good success in spiritual things, which is much better, and which you should desire much more.

4. A fourth caution to be observed in you preparation to prayer, and in prayer, is, be not slight and formal herein, which is, when cursorily and out of custom only when you call your sins, your duties, God's favours, and his promises, into a bare and fruitless remembrance. For if the heart be not seriously affected with anger, fear, grief, and shame of sin; and if it be not affected with a thankful acknowledgement of being beholden to God for His favours; moreover, if it be not affected with hope and confidence in God a the remembrance of His blessed promises; and if withal, the heart be not gained to a renewed resolution to reform what is faulty, and to cry earnestly to God for grace and mercy; and for the time to come to endeavour to live a godly life; all your preparation is nothing. Nay, this slight and fruitless calling of sin and duty to remembrance, and no more, is a great emboldened and strengthener of sins; and a great weakener and quencher of the Spirit. For sins are like to idle vagrants, and lawless subjects; if officers call such before them, and, either say nothing to them, or only give them threatening words, but do not smite them and make them smart, they grow ten times more bold, insolent, and lawless. Good thoughts are like to dutiful servants and loyal subjects, such as are ready to come at every call, and offer themselves to be employed in all good services; now if they be not entertained with suitable regard, if they be not cherished in their readiness, they (like David's people) return disheartened, and their edge to future service is taken off, 2 Samuel 14:3. Besides, this cursory performing of holy duties, is the highway to a habit of hypocrisy that accursed bane of all that is good.
5. My last caution is, that if your meditations, and in your prayers, you find a dullness and want of spirituality, I would have you to be humbled in the sense of you impotency and infirmity; yet, be not discouraged nor given them over, but rather betake yourself to these duties with more diligence and earnestness. When you want water, (your pump being dry) you by pouring in a little water, and much labour in pumping, can fetch water; so, by much labouring in heart in preparation, and by prayer, Luke 11:13. And, as when your fire is out, by laying on fuel, and by blowing the spark remaining, you kindle it again: so by meditation you stir up the grace that is in you, 2 Timothy 1:6, and by the breath of prayer, may revive and inflame the spirit of grace and prayer in you. Yet, if you find that you have not time to prepare by meditation; or having done so, if you find a confusion and distraction in your meditation, then it will be best to break through all hindrances, and without further preparation attend to the duty of prayer, only with premeditation of God to whom, and of Christ by whom, through the Spirit, you must pray.

If for all this you do not find satisfaction in these holy exercises; yet give them not over: for God is many times best pleased with your services, when, through a humble sense of your failings, you are displeased with yourself for them. Yet more, if when you have wrestled and striven with God and your own heart in prayer, you are forced to go halting away, with Jacob, Genesis 32:25-31, in the sense of your infirmities; yet be not discouraged, for it is a good sign that you have prevailed with God as Jacob did, Genesis 32:28.

God uses, when He is overcome by prayer, to work in them that do overcome some sense of weakness, to let them know, that they prevail with Him in prayer, not by any strength of their own or by any worthiness of their prayer, when they have prayed best; but from the goodness of God's free grace, from the worthiness of Christ's intercession, by whom they offer up their prayers, and from the truth of His promise made unto them that pray. If it were not thus, many, when they have their hearts' desire in prayer, would ascribe all to the goodness of their prayers, and not to the free grace of God; and would be proud of their own strength, which, in truth, is none at all.

The Christian's Daily Walk