Crums of bread for the dove in the clefts of the rock, and the secret places of the stairs, Cant. 2.14, or, Helps to meditation on conversion, mortification, sanctification, the Christians daily walke, reading the scriptures, and good practicall books : for a friend / by J.T.

SECT. XV. Of Fasting and Humiliation.

1. AS necessity requireth, and oppor∣tunity is offered, be often in the duty of self-examination, soul-humiliation, with fasting and prayer.

2. Improve publick daies for that pur∣pose.

3. Keep some private in your family, and in your Closet, because of family and per∣sonall necessities. Zach 12.12.

And for direction in it, (having considered your necessities, set a fit and free time apart, put your heart into a posture, and sought God's presence,) set about the work.

1. Let your private and family duties, of daily course look towards it.

2. Sit down and examine your hearts and lives, and find out your speciall sins and transgressions in every age, in every rela∣tion, place, &c.

3. Having found them out, set them home upon your hearts, in the considerati∣on of their nature, number, and aggrava∣tions.

4. Draw up against your selves the sen∣tence

of the law of God.

5. Put your selves into the presence of God, and make large free and ingenuous confessions of sins, both of nature and life.

6. Get your hearts humbled under them in God's sight, and desire him to work you to it.

7. Acknowledge your deserts of death and damnation, and of your particular af∣fliction.

8. Worke your hearts to hatred and ab∣horrency of your sin, and expresse it sincere∣ly.

9. Look upon God in Christ as gracious, and mercifull, willing to pardon sin.

10. Plead hard for pardon in the bloud of Christ.

11. Present Christ Jesus as your sacrifice, once offered upon the crosse, ever presen∣ted in Heaven; let faith apprehend it, ap∣ply it, and present it unto God.

12. Beg God's cleansing and sanctifying grace.

13. Renew your covenant for better obe∣dience in the bloud of Christ, with a sincere heart, and desire God's acceptance and grace.

14. Pray for the removall of the judg∣ment, with submission to Gods will: effectu∣ally

pray for the sanctification of it, and for support under it, with patience to bear it: pray then too for the blessings to be desired, as it may be for your good and God's glory.

15. Remember then your family relations, friends, those that have desired your pray∣ers; the needy, sad, tempted, and afflicted servants of Christ.

16. Enlarge in your prayers for the whole Church, for the Land, King, Magistrate, Ministers, and People. Confesse Nationall sins, considering your share in them, mourn for them, strive with God for mercy, &c. wrestling with God in Christ.

17. Towards the close, confesse your fai∣lings in the present duty, beg acceptance through Christ, and conclude with bles∣sings. If it may be, continue in this order, while strength lasteth, but be sincere, fer∣vent, and affectionate in all.

18. Then read some portion of Scripture to the purpose, or as God shall direct, spend some considerable time in so doing, with reflection and meditation upon what you have read.

19. Proceed again to Prayer, bewailing your defects in the duty of the day; looking over your confessions, and making them up

in renewed acknowledgments. The like in the other parts of the duty.

20. Abstaine from ornaments, accomo∣dations, and refreshments, as long as you are able, to help you in Humiliation, or to ex∣presse it, and to quicken you to prayer.

21. In the close devote your selves to God; and give something, as you are able, to the poor.

22. Be often in such duties, as occasion requireth, and while God is afflicting you or his people, walke humbly, and lay aside your ornaments, and abate your refresh∣ments, and be much in prayer.

Notes

• Jach. 12.12. Dan. 9. Lam. 3.39.
• Dan. 9.
• Gal. 3.10.
• 1 Joh. 1.9.
• Ps. 51.17.
• Dan. 9.7, 11.
• 2 Cor. 7.11
• Exod. 34.6
• Dan. 9.19.
• Levit. Rom. 3.25.
• Ps. 51.7.
• Ps. 51.13
• Dan. 9.16.
• Ps. 51.18. Dan. 9. Ezek. 9.
• John 14.13, 14.
• Ezra.
• Ex. 33.4, 5, 6. Jona 3.6. Joel 2.15, 16.
• Is. 58.7, 10
• Dan. 10.2, 3.