00A.02 Cogitations Proper to Begin the Day with

Cogitations Proper to Begin the Day with

Think first that a man consists of a soul and a body and that the soul is from heaven, firm and immortal; but the body is of the earth, earthly, frail, and mortal. Again, think that by reason of sin, wherein you are conceived and born, the parts of the soul that understand and desire are so corrupt, that without especial grace to both soul and body, you can neither know nor love any good thing in God’s sight, much less do good. Yet notwithstanding think, that you are regenerate by Christ’s resurrection, whereof your baptism requires faith, and therefore have both body and soul something reformed both to know and love, and therefore to do some good in the sight of God through Christ, for whose sake our poor doings are accepted for good, the evil and infirmity cleaving thereto not being imputed through faith. Think that by faith, which is God’s seed, (for they which believe are born of God, and made God’s children,) and which is given to those that are ordained to eternal life; think (I say) that by faith you receive more and more the Spirit of sanctification, through the use of God’s word and sacraments, and earnest prayer, to illumine and enlighten your mind’s understanding, judgment, and reason, and to bow, form, frame, and inflame your affections with love and power to that which is good; and therefore use the means aforesaid accordingly. Think that, by this Spirit, you are through faith united to Christ as a lively member, and so to God, and, as it were, made one with him, and by love which springs out of this faith you are made one also with all that are of God. And so you have fellowship with God and all good men that ever were or shall be, in all the good that God and all his saints have or shall have. Think that as, by faith and love through the Spirit, you are now entered into this communion, the blessedness whereof no tongue can express, so after this life you shall, first in soul, and in the last day in body also, enjoy for ever the same society most perfectly, which now is only begun in you. Think then of your negligence, that cares so little for this your happy estate. Think upon your ingratitude to God, making you, redeeming you, calling you, and so lovingly adopting you. Think upon your foolishness in fancying so much earthly and bodily pleasures. Think upon your deafness and blindness, who hear not God nor see him, though he calls you so diligently by his works, words, and sacraments. Think upon your frowardness, who will not be led of God and his Spirit. Think upon your forgetfulness and inconsideration of your high estate, how your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, how your members are the members of Christ, how the whole world and all things are your own ( 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, 1 Corinthians 4:1-21) And therefore say unto your soul, O soul! arise, follow God, contemn this world, purpose well, and pursue it, long for thy Lord’s coming, be ready and watch that he come not upon you unawares. And forasmuch as you must live to God’s pleasure, consider the vocation and state of your life whereto God has called you, and pray to God for grace, knowledge, and ability to take the most profitable things in hand; to begin well, to go on better, and, best of all, to end the same to God’s glory, and the profit of your brethren; and think that time lost wherein you speak or do not, or at the least think not, something to God’s glory and your brethren’s advantage. When you go Forth out of Doors, Pray:

Now must I walk among the snares of death, which are stretched out by Satan and his mischievous ministers in the world, carrying with me a friend to them both, and a foe to myself, even this body of sin and sinful flesh. O grand Captain, Christ, lead me and guide me, I beseech thee; defend me from the plagues and subtleties whereby I am endangered. Grant that I may take all things that happen as I should do; only upon thee set thou mine eyes, that I may so go on forwards in thy wars so that by nothing I may be hindered, but rather forwarded, and may refer all things to thee accordingly. Show me thy way, O Lord, and teach me thy paths; consider how vainly the most part of men are occupied, how they trouble and cumber themselves diversely, how they meddle with many things, thereby much alienating their minds from the knowledge and cogitation of that which they should most esteem, and so become a hindrance and an offence to others.

Occasions to meditate As in going abroad, you look that your apparel is seemly in the sight of men, so examine how seemly you appear in the sight of God. When you are going any Journey, Pray: This our life is a pilgrimage. From the Lord we came, and to the Lord we make our journey; howbeit we pass through thievish places, and painful, yea, perilous ways, which our cruel enemies have, and do prepare for us, who now are more than stark blind by reason of sin. O Christ! who art a most true Lodesman (pilot, editor) and Guide, and thereto most expert, faithful, and friendly, do thou put out thine hand, open mine eyes, make thy highways known unto me, which way thou did first enter into out of this corruptible life, and hast fenced the same for us to immortality. Thou art the way, lead us to the Father by thyself, that we all may be one with him, as thou and he together are one. Show me thy way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee. (Psalms 143:1-12) Or Pray thus:

Merciful Father, thou art wont to send to thy servants and men of simple hearts, thine angels to be their keepers, and, as it were, guides: as elder brethren, to watch over thy weak children; so did thou to Jacob, to Abraham’s servant, to Joshua, &c. O good God! though we are much unlike unto them, so many are our sins, yet for thine own goodness’ sake, send thine holy angels, to pitch their tents about us, from Satan and his slaves to hide and defend, to carry us in their hands, that we come not into further danger than thou throughout wilt deliver us from for thine own sake;oeven his angels are ministers for them that are heirs of salvation. (Heb. i.) Satan sleeps not, but seeks always to destroy us.

Occasion to meditate

Think how we are strangers from our country, from our home, from our original; I mean from God. Again, think upon our madness, that linger and loiter so willingly in this our journey and pilgrimage; also how foolish we are to fancy things which we cannot carry with us, and to contemn conscience, which will always be a companion to us, to our joy if it is good, but to our shame and sorrow, if it is evil and corrupt. Finally, how unnatural we are, that so little desire to be at our home, to be with our only Father, and Master, our fellows, friends, &c. When you we about to Receive your Meat, Pray: This is a wonderful mystery of thy work, O Maker and Governor of the world, that thou dost sustain the lives of men and beasts with these meats! Surely this power is neither in the bread nor food, but in thy will and word, by which word all things live and have their being. Again, how great a thing is it, that thou art able yearly to give sustenance to so many creatures; this is spoken of by thy prophets in thy praises. All things look up to thee, and thou gives them meat in due season; thou opens thine hand, and fills with thy blessing every living thing. These, doubtless, are wonderful works of thine almightyness. I therefore heartily pray thee, O most liberal Lord and faithful Father, that as thou by meat through thy word dost minister life to these our bodies, even so by the same word with thy grace do thou quicken our souls; that both in soul and body we may please thee till this our mortal body shall put on immortality, and we shall need no more any other food, but thee only, who then wilt be all in all. Taste, and see how good the Lord is; bless the Lord, O my soul, who feeds and fills thy mouth with good things.

Occasions to meditate

Think a little how great God’s power is, that made us; also think how great his wisdom is to preserve us; but most of all, think how many things are given for our use, how wonderful it is to give us life, but most of all, to propagate to immortality the life of the soul by his beck alone. Last of all, think that God, by his providence for thy body, would have thee confirm thy faith respecting God’s providence for thy soul. In the Meal-time, Pray:

O most liberal Distributor of thy gifts, who gives all kinds of good things to use, thou being pure give pure things, grant to me thy grace, that I misuse not these thy gracious gifts given to our use and profit. Let us not love them because thou dost give us these things, but rather let us love Thee, because thou gives them, and because they are necessary for us for a season, till we come unto thee. Grant us to be conversant among thy gifts soberly, purely, temperately, holily, because thou art such: so shall not we turn to the poison of our souls, that which thou hast given for the medicine of our bodies, but using thy benefits thankfully, we shall find them profitable both to soul and body Occasions to meditate

Think that the meats and drinks set before you, are given to you to use, and not to abuse; think they are given to profit and not to hurt you, think that they are not given to you alone, but unto others also, by you. In eating and drinking, think that you do but feed the worms. Remember the poor prisoners, the sick, &c., as though you were in their case. Think upon the food of your soul, Christ’s body broken, and his blood shed. Desire the meat that lasts for ever, (John 6:1-71) work for it; Christ’s meat was to do his Father’s will. (John 4:1-54) After your Meat, Pray thus: By corporeal meats thou dost sustain our corporeal daily life, which otherwise is ready to perish, which surely is a great work, but yet this is much greater, more profitable, and more holyothat thy grace, O Jesus Christ, keeps away from us the death of the soul. For this life we ought much to thank thee, and because thou prolongs it with thy good gifts, we most heartily praise thee; howbeit, this life is but the way to eternal life, which we beseech thee, for thy death’s sake, that thou wilt give us; and so shall we not only give thee, as we can, thanks in time for temporal things, but also eternal thanks for eternal things. Oh! grant to us these our desires for thy mercy’s sake. Amen.

Occasions to meditate

Think now that God has given thee this his blessing of meat, &c., and also time that thou might repent to seek his glory, and the advantage of thy brethren. Therefore go thereabout; but first pray for grace well to begin, and again consider how thou hast been partaker of other men’s labours, as of the husbandman, the miller, the baker, the brewer, the butcher, the cook, &c. See therefore that thou art not a drone, but rather such a bee as may help the hive. If God have thus fed thy body, which he loves not, except for thy soul’s sake, how can it be then, but that he will be much more ready to feed thy soul? Therefore take courage to thee, and go to him for grace accordingly.