A help to holy walking, or, A guide to glory containing directions how to worship God, and to walk with him in the whole course of our lives / by Edward Bury.

4. Direct. Having Directed you in the External part of the Duty, it remains that I speak something of the Internal, which is the very Life and Soul of the Duty, without which all the rest is but a dead Carkass, a bare Name of a Fast. When thou comest there∣fore before God in this Duty, set thy self be∣fore him with all reverence, as before an An∣gry Judge, justly provoked by thy Faults. Come with shame in thy Face, and sorrow in thy Heart, and, if possible, with Tears in thy Eyes, and make a full and free Confes∣sion of thy Faults, with all the aggravating Circumstances thereof; and rest not till thy Heart bleed for thy Sins: Shouldest thou rip, and confess all the sins that ever thou hadst Committed, with all the aggravations, with which they are cloathed, if thy Heart were not touch'd with sorrow for them, it would be but a further aggravation of them, and

provoke the Lord to Anger, and not to Com∣passion. If thy Fast be private, confess all the evil thou knowest by thy self, till thou canst say with a good Conscience, I have kept nothing back. Now, this pressing Sin upon thy Soul is called a renting of the Heart, Joel 2.13. Rent your Hearts, and not your Gar∣ments: An Afflicting of the Soul, Lev. 16.29. In it you shall Afflict your souls, and do no work at all, Lev. 23.29. Whatsoever Soul shall not be Afflicted in that same day he shall be cut off from among his People. Consider the Corrup∣tions of thy Heart, thy Natural Corruptions; consider the Number of thy by-past sins, and the weight of thy present remaining Corrup∣tions, the wrath of God is kindled against thee for them, and the danger thy Soul is in of Hell, by reason of them. Consider sin in it's own Nature is the worst of Evils, and the cause of all other Evils, 'tis the foulest thing in the World; yea, fouler than the Devil himself, for that made him foul; and could he be stript of his sin, he would return to his Angelical Glory. Consider it in the Causes, it had it's Original from the Devil himself; he was the first Sinner, and the cause of sin in Men; and the Child very much resembles the Father. Consider the Law of God, of which sin is a transgression; 'tis Holy, Just, and Good, and no reason can be given why it should not be Obeyed. Consider the Person against whom thou sinnest, and it is against God himself, who is the chiefest Good; yea,

the Fountain of all thy Mercies; One to whom thou owest thy self, and all thou hast; he that is thy Creator, and made thee; 'tis he that maintaineth thee at his own Cost and Charges: One that is able to save thee, or destroy thee. Consider it in the woful Effects of it, 'tis the Cause of all thy Judgments felt, or feared; yea, of Spiritual, Temporal, and Eternal Judgments: For the Wages of Sin is Death, but the Gift of God is Eternal Life. Consider it in the price that was paid to free thy Soul from the Guilt, and filth of it, and that was the precious Blood of the Son of God, who lost his Life to Ransom Souls from the slavery of Satan, and his Blood to wash away their scarlet sins. The serious Conside∣ration of these things will much further thy Humiliation, and Soul-Affliction: And when thou hast thus made thy Heart to bleed for thy sins, go to God for a Plaister; but what good will a Plaister do before there is a Wound? Beg of him the Pardon of thy sin; and not only so, but power against it: Renew thy Covenant with him of better Obedience, not only purpose, but promise amendment of Life; resolve against sin for the time to come: Every sin thou confessest, let it be with a strong resolution to meddle no more with it. This is that Spiritual Fast from sin, which is every Christians Duty; to Fast from Food, and not from filthiness; from pleasure, and not from profaness; from sleep, and not from sin, is the Devils Fast; such Fasts he keeps, and such

will be kept in Hell: But the contrary was David's humbling of his Soul with Fasting, Psal. 69.10. In which there must be a con∣fession of sin, an Accusation for it, a detesta∣tion of it, and also self-condemnation. And though Prayer at all times should be fervent, yet especially now in such a Duty; this is called a Crying mightily unto God, Joel 1.14. Jonah 3.8. And thou shouldst bring Faith along with thee, believing thou shalt prevail, which may be grounded upon the many pro∣mises made to this Duty, and the Experien∣ces we have in Scripture of the success Jehosha∣phat, Hezekiah, Esther, Niniveh, and many other may witness; nay, where was it ever in Scripture faithfully performed without suc∣cess? Alms-deeds also should be added, Isa. 58.6,7. Yea, we should testifie our Humi∣liation by our ready forgiving of others, and assisting those that stand in need. Beg also those many things that are wanting, for thy self, the Church, or State; and as in the Law, Sacrifices, and Offerings were given to God: Sacrifice thy sin to him, and Offer to him the Calves of thy Lips, Prayer and praise; De∣dicate thy self a Living Sacrifice, and devote thy self to his Service.