The Whole Man

Prov. 17.22:

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. 

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 8:

It is only our bad temper that we put down to being tired or worried or hungry; we put our good temper down to ourselves.

Richard Greenham, A Most Sweete Comfort for an Afflicted Conscience, in Paramuthion. Two Treatises for the Comforting of an Afflicted Conscience, p. 44:

I would have wisdom both in considering the state of the body if need so require; and in looking chiefly to the soul, which so few think of.

Timothy Rogers, Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, p. xxvi:

As Richard Greenham, in his A Sweet Comfort for an Afflicted Conscience, says, "There is a great deal of wisdom required to consider both the state of the body and the state of the soul." He says that if a man who is troubled in conscience comes to a minister, he will likely look to the soul and not at all to the body; if that same man goes to a physician, he will likely consider the body and neglect the soul. For my part, I would never despise the physician's counsel nor neglect the minister's labor, because, the soul and body dwelling together, it is convenient that as the soul should be cured by the Word, prayer, fasting, or comforting, so the body must be brought into some temperature by medicine and diet, harmless diversions, and such like ways (providing always that it is so done in the fear of God as not to think by these ordinary means quite to smother or evade our troubles, but to use them as preparatives whereby our souls may be made more capable of the spiritual methods that are to follow afterwards).

Richard Gilpin, Daemonologia Sacra: or, A Treatise of Satan's Temptations, p. 218:

Satan can afflict the body by the mind. For these two are so closely bound together that their good and bad estate is shared betwixt them. If the heart be merry the countenance is cheerful, the strength is renewed, the bones do flourish like an herb. If the heart be troubled the health is impaired, the strength is dried up, the marrow of the bones wasted, &c. Grief in the heart is like a moth in the garment, it insensibly consumeth the body and disordereth it. This advantage of weakening the body falls into Satan's hands by necessary consequence, as the prophet's ripe figs, that fell into the mouth of the eater. And surely he is well pleased with it, as he is an enemy both to body and soul. But it is a greater satisfaction to him in that as he can make the sorrows of the mind produce the weakness and sickness of the body, so can he make the distemper of the body, by a reciprocal requittal, to augment the trouble of the mind. How little can a sickly body do! It disables a man for all services; he cannot oft pray, nor read, nor hear; sickness takes away the sweetness and comfort of religious exercises. This gives occasion for them to think the worse of themselves. They think the soul is weary of the ways of God, when the body cannot hold out. All failures which weariness and faintness produce are ascribed presently to the bad disposition of the mind, and this is like oil cast upon the flame. Thus the devil makes a double gain out of spiritual trouble.

A Time to Meditate

Thomas Manton, Sermons Upon Gen. 24.63 in The Works of Thomas Manton, Vol. 17, pp. 265-266; and 298-299:

4. The last circumstance in the text is the time, 'In the even-tide,' which is also a matter of an arbitrary concernment. Time in itself is but an inactive circumstance; all hours are alike to God; he taketh no more pleasure in the sixth or ninth hour than in the first hour; only you should prudently observe when your spirit is most fresh and smart. To some the morning is quickest, the fancy being fittest to offer spiritual and heavenly thoughts, before it hath received any images and representations from carnal objects abroad. Morning thoughts are, as it were, virgin thoughts of the mind, before they have been prostituted to these inferior and baser objects, and so are more pure and sublime and defecate; and then the soul, like the hind of the morning, with a swift and nimble readiness climbeth up to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense: Song of Sol. 4:6,’Until the day break and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of mvrrh and to the hill of frankincense;’ and it tended much to season the whole day when we can talk with the law in the morning: Prov. 6:22, ‘When thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.' To some the evening seemeth fitter, that when the gayishness and vanity of the spirit hath been spent in business, their thoughts may be more serious and solemn with God; and after the weights have been running down all day through their employments of the world, they may wind them up again at night in these recesses and exercises of piety and religion; as David says; Ps. 25:1, 'Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.' To others the silence and stillness of the night seemeth to be an help, and because of the curtain of darkness that is drawn between them and the world, they can the better entertain serious and solemn thoughts of God. David speaks everywhere in the psalms of his nocturnal devotions: Ps. 63:6, ‘When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night-watches.’ The expression is taken from the custom of the Jews, who divided the night into so many watches. Whilst others were reposing their bodies on their beds, David was reposing his soul in the bosom of God, and he have the less rest to his eyes that he might give the more to his soul. So Ps. 119:148, ‘Mine eyes prevent the night-watches, that I might meditate in thy word.’ Certainly in the night, when we are taken off from other business, we have the greatest command of our thoughts, and the covert of darkness that God hath stretched over the world begetteth a greater awe and reverence. Therefore Mr. [Richard] Greenham, when he pressed any weighty point, and perceived any careless, used to beg of them that, if God by his providence should suffer them to awake in the night, they would but think of his words. Certainly the mind, being by sleep emptied of other cares, like a mill falleth upon itself, and the natural awe and terror is the effect of darkness helpeth to make the thoughts more solemn and serious. So that you see much may be said for the conveniency of either of these seasons, evening or morning, or night. It is your duty to be faithful to your own souls, and sometimes to take the advantage either of the night or of the day, or the morning, or the evening as best suits us. David saith, Ps. 119:97, ‘Oh! how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.’ So he describes his blessed man: Ps.1:2, ‘His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night;’ that is, sometimes in the day and sometimes in the night; no time can come amiss to a prepared spirit. Isaac’s hour was in the even-tide; in the evening he went out to meditate, in which two things are notable:...
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CASE 4. When must we meditate?

1. In the general, something should be done every day; seldom converse begetteth a strangeness to God, and an unfitness for the duty. It is a description of God's servant, Ps.1:2, ' His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.' At least we should take all convenient occasions. It is an usual way of natural men to make conscience of duties after a long neglect; they perform duties to pacify a natural conscience, and use them as a man would use a sleepy potion or strong waters; they are good at a pinch, not for constant drink. Alas! we lose by such wide gaps and distances between performance and performance; it is as if we had never done it before.

2. For the particular time of the day when you should meditate, that is arbitrary. I told you before you may do it either in the silence of the night, when God hath drawn a curtain of darkness between you and the things of the world; or in the freshness of the morning, or in the evening, when the wildness and vanity of the mind is spent in worldly business.

3. There are some special solemn times, when the duty is most in season:
[1.] After a working sermon; after the word hath fallen upon you with a full stroke, it is good to follow the blow; and when God hath cast seed into the heart, let not the fowls peck it away : Matt 13:19, ' When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.' Ruminate on the word, chew the end; many a sermon is lost because it is not whet upon the thoughts: James 1: 23, 24, ' He is like a man that beholdeth his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was:' Matt. 22: 22, ' When they heard these things, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.' You should roll the word in your thoughts, and deeply consider of it.
[2.] Before some solemn duties, as before the Lord's supper, and before special times of deep humiliation, or before the sabbath. Meditation is, as it were, the breathing of the soul; that it may the better hold out in religious exercises, it is a good preparative to raise the spirits into a frame of piety and religion. When the harp is fitted and tuned, it doth the better make music; so when the heart is fixed and settled by a preparative meditation, it is the fitter to make melody to God in worship.
[3.] When God doth specially revive and enable the Spirit. It is good to take advantage of the Spirit's gales; so fresh a wind should make us hoist up our sails. Do not lose the Spirit's seasons; the Spirit's impulses are good significations from God that now is an acceptable time.

Case 5. What time is to be spent in the duty?

I answer - That is left to spiritual discretion. Suck the teat as long as milk cometh. Duties must not be spun out to an unnecessary length. You must neither yield to laziness, nor occasion spiritual weariness; the devil hath advantage upon you both ways. When you rack and torture your spirits after they have been spent, it makes the work of God a bondage; and therefore come not off till you find profit, and do not press too hard upon the soul, nor oppress it with an indiscreet zeal. It is Satan's policy to make you out of love with meditation by spinning it out to a tediousness and an unnecessary length.

Case 6. Whether should the time be set and constant?

I answer - It is good to bind the heart to somewhat, and yet leave it to such a liberty as becomes the gospel. Bind it to somewhat every day, that the heart may not be loose and arbitrary. We see that necessity quickeneth and urgeth, and when the soul is engaged it goes to work the more thoroughly. Therefore the Lord asks, Jer. 22:21, ' Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me?' It is good to lay a tie upon the heart; and yet I advise not to a set stinted hour, lest we create a snare to ourselves. Though a man should resist distractions and distempers, yet some business is unavoidable, and some distempers are invincible. I have observed this, that even religious persons are more sensible of their own vows than of God's commands; when men have bound up themselves in chains of their own making, their consciences fall upon them, and dog them with restless accusations, when they cannot accomplish so much duty as they have set and pre-scribed to themselves. And besides, when hours are customary and set, the heart groweth formal and superstitious.

MHCC 51: Brown Bread and the Gospel

Matthew Henry on Isa. 30.19-20:

It was a common saying among the old Puritans, Brown bread and the gospel are good fare.

The Worthy Sayings of Old Mr. [John] Dod, p. 32:

Brown bread with the Gospel is good fare.

Old Mr. Dod's Sayings, p. 16:

Though we have things below, very rare / Yet brown bread with the Gospel is good fare.

Robert Leighton, Exposition of the Lord's Prayer, in Works, Vol. 4, p. 91:

Though he hath no more of the world but daily bread, and of the coarsest sort, he hath a continual feast within, as he that said, Brown bread and the gospel is good fare.

John Spencer, Things New and Old, Vol. 1, p. 20:

Brown bread and the Gospel (said Mr. [Richard] Greenham), is good cheer; and indeed, brown bread, and the blessing of God, is a rich banquet.

Rutherford's Christian Directions

Samuel Rutherford, Letter CLIX, in Letters of Samuel Rutherford, pp. 292-295:

To John Fleming, Bailie of Leith [Letter LXVIII.]

Worthy and Dearly Beloved in the Lord, -- Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you. I received your letter. I wish that I could satisfy your desire in drawing up, and framing for you, a Christian directory. But the learned have done it before me more judiciously than I can; especially Mr. [Daniel] Rogers, [Richard] Greenham and [William] Perkins. Notwithstanding, I shall show you what I would have been at myself; howbeit I came always short of my purpose.

1. That hours of the day, less or more time, for the word and prayer, be given to God; not sparing the twelfth hour, or mid-day, howbeit it should then be the shorter time.

2. In the midst of worldly employments, there should be some thoughts of sin, death, judgment, and eternity, with at least a word or two of ejaculatory prayer to God.

3. To beware of wandering of heart in private prayers.

4. Not to grudge, howbeit ye come from prayer without sense of joy. Down-casting, sense of guiltiness, and hunger, are often best for us.

5. That the Lord's-day, from morning to night, be spent always either in private or public worship.

6. That words be observed, wandering and idle thoughts be avoided, sudden anger and desire of revenge, even of such as persecute the truth, be guarded against; for we often mix our zeal with our wild-fire.

7. That known, discovered, and revealed sins, that are against the conscience, be eschewed, as most dangerous preparatives to hardness of heart.

8. That in dealing with men, faith and truth in covenants and trafficking be regarded, that we deal with all men in sincerity; that conscience be made of idle and lying words; and that our carriage be such, as that they who see it may speak honourably of our sweet Master and profession.
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There are some things, also, whereby I have been helped, as -- 1. I have been benefited by riding alone a long journey, in giving that time to prayer. 2. By abstinence, and giving days to God. 3. By praying for others; for by making an errand to God for them, I have gotten something for myself. 4. I have been really confirmed, in many particulars, that God heareth prayers; and, therefore, I used to pray for anything, of how little importance soever. 5. He enabled me to make no question, that this mocked way, which is nicknamed, is the only way to heaven.

Humility

In one of the earliest Puritan devotional manuals, first published exactly 400 years ago, A Garden of Spirituall Flowers Planted by Ri. Ro. [Richard Rogers], Will. Per. [William Perkins], Ri. Green. [Richard Greenham], M.M. [Miles Mosse] and Geo. Web. [George Webbe] (1610, 1613), Rogers gives us a succinct definition of the virtue of humility, which it is worthwhile to ponder.

Humility is a virtue whereby one man thinks better of another than of himself: for this makes a man think basely of himself, in regard of his own sins and corruptions, whereupon he is contented to give place unto other, and to y[i]eld of his own right, for the maintenance of peace: when as on the othe[r] side, pride causes men to seek for more than their due, & so causes contention.

Diary of a Puritan Noblewoman

Lady Margaret Hoby (née Dakins) (1571-1633) was married three times - first, in 1589 to Walter Deverux, who died in the seige of Rouen in 1591; secondly, in 1591 to Thomas Sidney (who died in 1595), brother of the poet Sir Philip Sidney; and third, in August 1595 to Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby. On the third anniversary of her marriage to her third husband (in 1599) she commenced writing a spiritual diary, the first known diary written by an Englishwoman, and continued writing in it until at least 1605. She cared for the sick in her area as a nurse; her diary entries mention her labors in this regard, and in the management of her estate, as well as her private and public spiritual exercises. She was childless, except for a young female relative, who came to live with her, and her husband was absent often due to official duties and travel, but she oversaw the spiritual welfare of her servants as well. She mentions in her diary that she often (almost exclusively) sang psalms: for example, she "talked and song psalmes with divers that was with me"; and she "sang a psalme with some of the servants"; and in her husband's absence, she "practiced [her] voyce in the singing of psalms," likely from the Sterhold & Hopkins edition. She often read Scripture, wrote notes on her Bible reading, repeated sermons and lectures heard by the chaplain of the manor and at church twice on the Lord's Day, catechized her servants, and engaged in family and private devotions. She read the works of Puritans Richard Greenham and Nicholas Bownde, was a friend of William Perkins, and a patron of Nicholas Byfield.

Here are two representative extracts from her diary, which was not written for the public, but centuries later provides a window into the life of a Puritan noblewoman:

Tuesday, August 28, 1599

In the morning, after private prayer, I read of the Bible, and then wrought [embroidered] till 8 o'clock, and then I ate my breakfast; after which done, I walked into the fields till 10 o'clock, then I prayed, and not long after I went to dinner; and about one o'clock I gathered my apples till 4; then I came home, and wrought till almost 6, and then I went to private prayer and examination, in which it pleased the Lord to bless me; and beseeched the Lord, for Christ his sake, to increase the power of this spirit in me daily, Amen, Amen; till supper time I heard Mr. Rhodes read of [a book by the Puritan scholar Thomas] Cartwright, and soon after supper, I went to prayers, after which I wrote to Master Hoby, and so to bed.

The Lord's Day, November 18, 1599

After private prayer I went to Church, and when I came home, I praised God for his mercies there offered me. After I dined, I went to church again and heard catechizing and sermon; then I talked and sang psalms with divers that was with me, and after that I prayed privately and examined myself with what intergrity I had spent the day, and then went to supper; after that, to public examination and prayers, and so to bed.

Rules for a Right Understanding of the Ten Commandments

Psalm 119.96 teaches us that the scope of God's law is "exceeding broad": "I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad." Our Lord Jesus fleshes out what this means in the Sermon on the Mount by explaining that the Decalogue is not to be confined to the literal words which make up the ten commandments, but rather is to be understood as reflecting the full scope of spiritual perfection as comprehended in the moral law of God.

The Westminster Larger Catechism provides helpful guidance on how to understand the ten commandments aright (see the link for scripture references).

Westminster Larger Catechism:

Q99: What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the ten commandments?

A99: For the right understanding of the ten commandments, these rules are to be observed:

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth everyone to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience forever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.

2. That it is spiritual, and so reaches the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures.

3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.

4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded: so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included; and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.

5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; What he commands, is always our duty; and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times.

6. That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.

7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places, to endeavor that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places.

8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them; and to take heed of partaking with others in: What is forbidden them.

For comparison, see a briefer list of rules by an earlier Puritan, Richard Greenham:

Richard Greenham, A Short Forme of Catechising (1599 ed.):

Are there not some rules which serve for the better understanding of every one of the Commandements?

Yea, there be foure which have special uses.

1. First, in every Commandement where evill is forbidden, there the contrarie good is commanded.

2. Secondly, many moe evils are forbidden and many moe good things are commanded in every commandement, than in word are expressed.

3. Thirdly, because God is a Spirite, therefore his commandements are spirituall, and require spirituall obedience.

4. Fourthly, in every commandement where evill is forbidden, there the occasions of the evill is forbidden; & where good is commanded, there also the occasions of good are commanded.