A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 5 Of the spiritual sanctification, & the outward rest.

§. Sect. 5 Of the spirituall sanctification, & the outward rest.

And this is the rest required on the Sabbath; the sanctification of this rest is either by using the means, or doing the works of sanctification. And this is done both publicly and privately; publicly, by using the public means of sanctification in the service of God. And this is done, First, of the Ministers, by public praying in the congregation, preaching and reading the Word, and administration of the Sacraments. Secondly, the people, by frequenting the assemblies in the beginning, and continuing to the end of divine service; and being there, by carrying and behaving themselves religiously, diligently & uprightly, in calling upon Gods name, hearing the Word, and in the right use of the Sacraments. The ¹public works of sanctification, are almsdeeds and collections for the poor. Privately the Sabbath is sanctified, by our preparation to Gods public service, which chiefly consisteth in meditation and prayer; and after the public service, by meditating on the Word heard, and applying it to our own use, and by holy conferences with others. Unto which duties, respecting the public worship, we are to add and use these other ⟨p. 133⟩means of sanctifying the remainder of the Lords day; Reading of the Scriptures or other religious & holy writings; meditation on Gods Word ²and works, especially of creation, preservation and redemption; Invocation by prayer; thanksgiving and singing of Psalms: and finally, godly conferences upon some fit subject, which best forteth to the present occasion, and tendeth to the use of edification: unto which means we must add the private works of sanctification, which are the works of mercy, and appertain chiefly either to the body, as the giving of alms, visiting the sick and prisoners, curing diseases, &c. or else to the soul, as, teaching the ignorant, reclaiming those who are seduced by error, admonishing those who fail of their duty by frailty and infirmity, rebuking the scandalous and wilful offender, exhorting the backward and sluggish, comforting the distressed, counselling them for the good of their souls that need counsel, and reconciling those whom we know to be at variance. But we must not only sanctify the Sabbath, but also as a special help and means hereof, we must remember to do it, that is, use all providence and care, devotion and diligence about these duties of sanctification.