me Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which onely doth wondrous things And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty Amen Amen For DELIVERANCE from TROUBLE BE merciful unto me O Lord be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in thee and under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge until these calamities be overpast Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I flye unto thee to hide me O keep my Soul and deliver me let me not be confounded for I have put my trust in thee Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and in misery The sorrowes of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my troubles For the CHURCH O Be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem O God wherefore art thou absent from us so long Why is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of thy pasture O think upon thy Congregation whom thou hast purchased and Redeemed of old Look upon the Tribe of thine Inheritance and Mount Sion where thou hast dwelt It is time for thee Lord to lay to thy hand for they have destroyed thy Law Arise O God and maintain thine own cause Deliver Israel O God out of all his troubles Brief heads of SELF-EXAMINATION Especially before the SACRAMENT Collected out of the foregoing Treatise concerning the breaches of our DUTY To GOD. NOt believing there is a God Not believing his Word Not believing it Practically so as to live according to our belief Despairing of Gods mercy so as to neglect duty Presuming groundlesly on it whilest we go on in wilful sin Not loving God for his own excellencies Not loving him for his goodness to us Not labouring to please him Not desiring to draw neer to him in his Ordinances Not longing to enjoy him in Heaven Not fearing God so as to keep from offending him Fearing man above him by committing sin to shun some outward suffering Not trusting on God in dangers and distresses Using unlawful means to bring us out of them Not depending on God for supply of our wants Immoderate care for outward things Neglecting to labour and expecting God should support us in our idleness Not looking up to God for a blessing on our honest endeavours Not having a high esteem of God Not submitting obediently to act his will Not patiently suffering it but murmuring at his corrections Not amending by them Not being thankful to him Not acknowledging his wisdom in choosing for us but having eager and impatient desires of our own Not honouring God by a reverend usage of the things that relate to him Behaving our selvs irreverently in his House Robbing God by taking things that are consecrated to him Profaning Holy times the Lords Day and the Feasts and Fasts of the Church Neglecting to read the Holy Scriptures not marking when we do read Being careless to get knowledg of our duty Chusing rather to continue ignorant then put our selves to the pains or shame of learning Placing Religion in hearing of Sermons without practising them Breaking our vow made at Baptism By resorting to witches and conjurers i. e. to the Devil By loving the pomps and vanities of the world and following its sinful customes By fulfilling the lusts of the flesh Profaning the Lords Supper By coming to it ignorantly without examination contrition and purposes of new life By behaving our selves irreverently at it without devotion and spiritual affection By neglecting to keep the promises made at it Profaning Gods Name by blasphemous thoughts or discourse Giving others occasion to blaspheme him by our vile and wicked lives Taking unlawful oaths Perjury Swearing in ordinary communication Not worshipping God Omitting prayers publick or private and being glad of a pretence to do so Asking unlawful things or to unlawful ends Not purifying our hearts from sin before we pray Not praying with Faith and Humility Coldness and deadness in prayer Wandring thoughts in it Irreverent gestures of body in prayer Neglecting the duty of Repentance Not calling our selves to daily account for our sins Not assigning any set or solemn times for humiliation and confession or too seldom Not deeply considering our sins to beget contrition for them Not acting revenges on our selves by fasting and other acts of Mortification Outward Idolatry in worshipping of creatures Inward Idolatry in placing our love joy and other affections more on creatures then the Creator To our SELVES Being pufft up with high conceits of our selves In respect of natural parts as beauty wit c Of worldly riches and honours Of Grace Greedily seeking the praise of men Directing Christian Actions as prayer almes c. to that end Committing sins to avoid reproach from wicked men Disturbing our minds with anger and peevishness Not carefully examining what our estate towards God is Not trying our selves by the true rule i. e. our obedience to Gods Commands Not weighing the lawfulness of our actions before we venture on them Not examining our past actions to repent of the ill to give God the glory of the good Uncontentedness in our estates Greedy desires after honour and riches Seeking to gain them by sinful means Envying the condition of other men Being negligent in observing and resisting temptations Not improving Gods gifts outward or inward to his honour Abusing our natural parts as wit memory strength c. to sin Neglecting or resisting the motions of Gods Spirit Uncleanness adultery fornication unnatural lusts c. Uncleanness of the eye and hand Filthy and obscene talking Impure fancies and desires Heightning of lust by pampering the body Not labouring to subdue it by fasting or other severities Eating too much Making pleasure not health the enâ— of eating Being too curious or costly in meats Drunkenness Drinking more then is useful to our bodies though not to drunkenness Wasting the time or estate in good fellowship Abusing our strength of brain to the makeing others drunk Immoderate sleeping Idleness and negligence in our callings Using unlawful recreations Being too vehement upon lawful ones Spending too much time at them Being drawn by them to anger or covetousness Being proud of apparel Striving to go beyond our rank Bestowing too much time care or cost about it Abstaining from such excesses not out of conscience but covetousness Pinching our bodies to fill our purses To our NEIGHBOUR Being injurious to our Neighbour Delighting causlesly to grieve his mind Ensnaring his Soul in sin by command counsel enticement or example Affrighting him from Godliness by our scoffing at it Not seeking to bring those to Repentance whom we have led into sin Murder open or secret Drawing men to intemperance or other vices which may bring diseases or death Stirring men up to quarrelling and fighting Maiming or hurting the body of our Neighbour Fierceness and rage against him Coveting our
its parts Confession Petitions For our Souls Bodiâ—â— Deprâ—cation Of sin Of punishmâ—â—t Intercession Thankâ—â—â—ving Spiritual Mercies Temporal Publick Prayer in the Church In the family Private Prayer Frequency in Prayer The advantages of Prayer Honour Benefit Pleasantness Carnallity one reason of its seeming otherwise Want of one another To ask nothing unlawful To ask in Faith In humility With attention Helps against wandring 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Prayer for Gods aid Watchfulnesse With Zeal With purity To right ends Bodily worship Repentance A turning from sin to God Times for this Duty Daily At set times In the time of affliction At Death The danger of deferring it till then The disadvantages of a death-bed repentance The custom of sin Bodily pains Danger of unsincerity Fasting Fasting a a revenge upon our selves Such revenges acceptable with God Yet no satisfaction for sins Times of fasting Second branâ—h of our dâ—ty to God Inward Idolatry Duty to our selves Humility The great sin of pride The danger Drawing into other sins Frustrating of remedies Betraying to punishment The folly In respect of the goods of Nature The goods of fortune The goods of grace Means of Humility Vain glory The sin The danger The folly â—elps aâ—â—inst vain â—â—â—ry Meekness Advantages of it Means of obtaining it Consideration Of our state The rule by which to trie our state The danger of inconsideration Our actions Before we do them After they are done Frequency of consideration Danger of omitting it Contentedness Contrary to murmuring To ambition To covetâ—usness Covetousness contrary to our duty to God To our selves To our neighbourâ— Contentedness contrary to envy Helps to contentedness Diligence Watchfulness against sin Industry in improving gifts Of Nature Of Grace To improve good motions The dangâ—â— of the contrary Chastity Uncleanness forbidden in the very lowest degrees The mischiefs of it To the Soul To the Body The Iudgments of God against it It shuts out from Heaven Helps to chastity Temperance In Eating Ends of eating Preserving of life Of Health Ru'es of Temperance in eating Means of it Temperancâ— in Drinkâ—ing False ends of drinking Good fellowship Preserving of kindness Cheering the spirits Putting away cares Passing away time Preventing reproach Pleasure of the drink Bargaining Degrees of this sin The great guilt of the strong drinkers The great mischiefs of this sin Exhortation to forsake it The difficulties of doing so considered Seeming nâ—â—â—ssity of drink Want of imployment Perswasions and reproaches of men The means of resisting them Which the advantages 〈◊〉 the hurt Reject the temptationâ— at the veâ—â— beginning The seâ—urity of doing so The efficaâ—y of these means if not hindred by love of the sin That lovâ— makes mâ—â— loth to beâ—lieve it dangerouâ— Sleep The rule of temperance therein The many sins that fâ—â—lâ—w tâ—e transgressing of it Other mischiefs of sloth Temperance in Recreation Cautions tâ—he observeâ— in them Undue end of sports Temperance in Apparel Apparel designed foâ— covering of shame Fencing from cold Distinction of persons Too much sparing a fault as well as excess Duty to our Neighbour Iustice. Negative To the Soul In the natural sence In the spiritual Drawing to sin the greatest injury Direct means of Indirect Men sadly to consider whom they have thus injured Heartily to bewail it Endeavour to repair it Negative justice to the body In respect of the life Several ways of being guilty of murder The Hainousness of the sin The great punishments attending it The strange discoveries of it We must waâ—ch diligently aâ—gainst all approaches of this sin Maiming â— great injury That which every man dreads for himself Yet worse if the man be poor Necessity of making what satisfaction we can Wounds and stripes injuries also This cruelty to others the effect of pride His possession Hâ—s wife The enticing a mans wife the greatest injustice To the woman To the man The most irrepairable His goods Malicious injustice Covetous injustice Oppression Gods vengeance against it Theft Not paying what we borrow What we are bâ—und for What we have promised Stealing the goods of our neighbour Deceit In Trust. In Traffick The sellers concealing the faults of his ware His over-rating it Fraud in the Buyer Many Temptations to deceit in Traffick The commonness of injustiee a reproach to Christianity It is not the way to enrich a man It ruines the Soul Eternally The necessity of Restitution His credit False witness Publick slanders Whispering Several steps towards this sin Despising and scoffing For infirmities For calamities Forsi â— Destroying the credit a great injury And irrepairable Yet every guilty person must do all he can to repaire the injury Iustice in the thoughts Positive Iustice. Speaking Truth a due to all men Lying expresly forbiden in Scripture The great commonness and folly of this sin Courteous behaviour a due to all men Not payed by the proud man Meekness a due to all men Brauling very inâ—ufferable It leads to that great sin of cursing Particular dues A respect due to men of extraordinary gifts We are not to envy them Nor detract from them The folly of both those sins A respect due to men in regard of their râ—nks and qualities Dues to those that are in any sort â—f want To the poor God withdraws those abilities which are not thus imployed Dues in respect of relations Gratitude to Benefactors The contrary too common Duty to Parents Dues to the Supreme Magistrate Honour Tribute Prayers for them Obedience Duties to our Pastors Love Esteem Maintenance Obedience Prayer for them Duties to our natural Parents Reverence Love Obedience Especially in their Marriage Ministring to their wants Duty to be paid even to the worst Parents Duty of Parents to children To Nourish them Bring them to Baptism Educate them Meane towards the educating of children The parent to watch over their souls even when they are grown up To provide for their subsistence To give them good example To bless them To give no unreasonable commands Dues to brethren Natural The necessity of love among brethren Spiritual brotherhood Our duty to hold communion with these brethren To bear with their infirmities To restore them after falls To sympathy with them The wife owes to the husband obedience Fidelity Love The faults of the Husband acquits not from these duties 〈…〉 Faithfulness Maintenance Instruction Husbands and Wâ—ves mutuâ—lly to pray for and assist each other in all good The vertue of the person the chief consideration in Marriage Unlawful Marriages Friendship It s dutiâ—â— Faithfulness Assistance Admonition Prayer Constancy Servantâ— owe to the Masters â—â—bedience Fidelity Submission to rebuke Diligence Masters owe to their Servants Iustice. Admonition Good example Means of Instruction Moderation in commandâ— Encouragement in well-doing Charity In the Affections To mens Souls To their Bodies Goods and Credit Effects of this Charity It casts out Envy Pride Censoriousness Dissembling Self-seeking Revenge Tâ—is charity to be extended even to enemies Motives thereunto Command of Christ. Example of God The disproportion between our offences against God and mens against us Pleasantness of this Duty Compared with the painfulness of the contrary If we forgive not God will not forgive us Gratitude to God The first riâ—ing of rancour to be supprest Charity in the Actions Towards the mind of our Neighbour His Soul Charity in respect of the Body Charity in respect of the Goods Towards the rich Towards the poor Motives of Alms-giving Manner of Alms giving Cheerfully The fear of impoverishing our selves by it vain and impious Give seasonably Of cruâ—lâ—y Prudâ—ntly Liberally Charity in respect of the Credit The acts of Charity in some respects acts of Iustice also The great rulâ— of Charity Peace Making He that undertakes it must be Peaceable himself Of going to Law This Chariâ—y of the Actions must reach to Enemies Self love 〈◊〉 hinderance to this Charity Prayer a means to procure is Christian duties both possible and pleasant Even when they expose us to outward sufferings The danger of delâ—ying our turning to God
therefore who are not yet fallen into the custome of this sin be most careful never to yield to the least beginnings of it and for those who are so miserable as to be already â—â—sâ—ared in it let them immediately as they tender their Souls get out of it And let no man plead the hardness of leaving an old custome as an excuse for his continuing in it but rather the longer he hath been in it so much the more haste let him make out of it as thinking it too too much that he hath so long gone on in so great a sin And if the length of the custâ—me have increased the difficulty of leaving it that is in all reason to make him set immediately to the casting it off left that difficulty at last grow to an impossibility and the harder he finds it at the present so much the more diligent and watchful he must be in the use of all those means which may tend to the overcoming that sinful habit some few of those means it will not be amiss here to mention 10. First let him possess his mind fully of the hainousness of the sin and not to measure it onely according to the common rate of the world And when he is fully perswaded of the guilt then let him add to that the consideration of the danger as that it puts him out of Gods favour at the present and will if he continue in it cast him into Hell for ever And sure if this were but throughly laid to heart it would restrain this sin For I would ask a man that pretends impossibility of leaving the custome whether if he were sure he should be hanged the next oath he swore the fear of it would not keep him from swearing I can scarce beleeve any man in his wits so little Master of himself but it would And then surely damning is so much worse then hanging that in all reason the fear of that ought to be a much greater restraint The doubt is men do either not heartily believe that this sin will damn them or if they do they look on it as a thing a great way off and so are not much moved with it but both these are very unreasonable For the first it is certain that every one that continues wilfully in any sin is so long in a state of damnation and therefore this being so continued in must certainly put a man in that condition For the second It is very possible he may be deceived in thinking it so far off for how knows any man that he shal not be struck dead with an oath in his mouth or if he were sure not to be so yet eternal damnation is surely to be dreaded above all things be it at what distance soever 11. A second means is to be exactly true in all thou speakest that all men may believe thee on thy bare word and then thou wilt never have occasion to confirm it by an oath to make it more credible which is the onely colour or reason can at any time be pretended for swearing 12. Thirdly Observe what it is that most betrayes thee to this sin whether drink or anger or the company and example of others or what ever else and then if ever thou mean to forsake the sin forsake those occasions of it 13. Fourthly Endeavour to possess thy heart with a continual remembrance of God and if that once grow into a custome with thee it will quickly turn out that contrary one of profaning Use and accustome thy self therefore to this reverence of God and particularly to such a respect to his name as if it be possible never to mention It without some lifting up of thy heart to him Even in thy ordinary discourse when ever thou takest his Name in to thy mouth let it be an occasion of raising up thy thoughts to him But by no means permit thy self to use it in idle by-words or the like If thou doest accustome thy self to pay this reverence to the bare mention of his name it will be an excellent fence against the prophaning it in oaths 14. A fifth means is a diligent and constant watch over thy self that thou thus offend not with thy tongue without which all the former will come to nothing And the last means is prayer which must be added to all thy endeavours therefore pray earnestly that God will enable thee to overcome this wicked custom say with the Psalmist Set a watch O Lord over my mouth and keep the door of my lips and if thou doest sincerely set thy self to the use of means for it thou mayest be assured God will not be wanting in his assistance I have been the longer on this because it is so reigning a sin God in his mercy give all that are guilty of it a true sight of the hainousness of it 15. By these several waies of dishonouring Gods Name you may understand what is the duty of honouring it viz. A strict abstaining from every one of these and that abstinence founded on an awful respect and reverence to that sacred Name which is Great Wonderful and Holy Psal. 99. 3. I have now past through the several branches of that great duty of honouring of God PARTITION V. Of WORSHIP due to Gods Name Of Prayer and its several parts Of Publick prayers in the CHURCH in the FAMILY Of PRIVATE PRAYER Of REPENTANCE c. Of FASTING § 1. THE eight duty we owe to God is worship This is that great duty by which especially we acknowledg his Godhead worship being proper only to God and therefore it is to be lookt on as a most weighty duty This is to be performed first by our Souls secondly by our bodies The Souls part is praying Now prayer is a speaking to God and there are divers parts of it according to the different things about which we speak 2. As first There is Confession that is the acknowledging our sins to God And this may be either general or particular The general is when we onely confess in gross that we are sinful the particular when we mention the several sorts and acts of our sins The former is necessary to be alwayes a part of our solemn prayers whether publick or private The latter is proper for private prayer and there the oftner it is used the better yea even in our daily private prayer it will be fit constantly to remember some of our greatest and foulest sins though never so long since past For such we should never think sufficiently confest and bewailed And this bewailing must alwaies go along with confession we must be heartily sorry for the sins we confess and from our Souls acknowledge our own great unworthiness in having committed them for our confession is not intended to instruct God who knows our sins much better then our selves do but it is to humble our selves and therefore we must not think wâ— have confest aright
instrument by whom to do it more successfully There cannot be a nobler study then how to benefit mens Souls and therefore where the direct means are improper 't is fit we should whet our wits for attaining of others Indeed 't is a shame we should not as industriously contrive for this great spiritual concernment of others as we do for every worldly trifling interests of our own yet in them we are unwearied and trye one means after another till we compass our end But if after all our serious endeavours the obstinacy of men do not suffer us or themselves rather to reap any fruit from them if all our wooings and intreatings of men to have mercy on their own Souls will not work on them yet be sure to continue still to exhort by thy example Let thy great care and tenderness of thy own Soul preach to them the value of theirs and give not over thy compassions to them but with the Prophet Jer. 13. 17. Let thy Soul weep in secret for them and with the Psalmist Let rivers of waters run down thy eyes because they keep not Gods Law Psal. 119. 136. Yea with Christ himself weep over them who will not know the things that belong to their peace Luk. 19. 42. And when no importunities with them will work yet even then cease not to importune God for them that he will draw them to himself Thus we see Samuel when he could not disswade the people from that sinful purpose they were upon yet he professes notwithstanding that he will not cease praying for them nay he lookt on it as so much a duty that it would be sin in him to omit it God forbid sayes he that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you 1 Sam. 12. 23. Nor shall we need to fear that our prayers shall be quite lost for if they prevail not for those for whom we pour them out yet however they will return into our own bosomes Psal. 35. 13. we shall be sure not to miss of the reward of that Charity In the second place we are to exercise this Active Charity towards the bodies of our Neighbours we are not onely to compassionate their pains and miseries but also to do what we can for their ease and relief The good Samaritan Luke 10. had never been proposed as our pattern had he not as well helped as pitied the wounded man 'T is not good wishes no nor good words neither that avail in such cases as St. James tells us If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them Depart in peace be ye warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give him not those things that are needful for the body what doth it profit Jam. 2. 15. 16. No sure it profits them nothing in respect of their bodies and it will profit thee as little in respect of thy Soul it will never be reckoned to thee as a Charity This releeving of the bodily wants of our brethren is a thing so strictly required of us that we find it set down Mat. 25. as the especial thing we shall be tried by at the Last Day on the omission whereof is grounded that dreadful sentence ver 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels And if it shall now be asked what are the particular acts of this kind which we are to perform I think we cannot better inform our selves for the frequent and ordinary ones then from this Chapter where are set down these severals the giving meat to the hungry and drink to the thirsty harbouring the stranger clothing the naked and visiting the sick and imprisoned By which visiting is meant not a bare coming to see them but so coming as to comfort and relieve them for otherwise 't will be but like the Levite in the Gospel Lu. 10. who came and looked on the wounded man but did no more which will never be accepted by God These are common and ordinary exercises of this charity for which we cannot want frequent opportunities But besides these there may sometimes by Gods especial providence fall into our hands occasions of doing other good offices to the bodies of our neighbours we may sometimes find a wounded man with the Samaritan and then 't is our duty to do as he did we may sometimes find an innocent person condemned to death as Susanna was and then are with Daniel to use all possible endeavour for their deliverances This case Solomon seems to refer to Prov. 24. 10. If thou forbear to deliver him that it drawn unto death and them that are ready to be slain if thou sayst behold we know it not doth not he that pondereth the heart consider and he that keepeth thy soul doth not he know it shall not he render to every man according to his deeds we are not lightly to put off the matter with vain excuses but to remember that God who knows our most secret thoughts will severely examine whether we have willingly omitted the performance of such a charity sometimes again nay God knowes often now a dayes we may see a man that by a course of intemperance is in danger to destroy his health to shorten his dayes and then it is a due charity not only to the soul but to the body also to endeavour to draw him from it It is impossible to set down all the possible acts of this corporal charity because there may sometimes happen such opportunities as none can foresee we are therefore alwayes to carry about us a serious resolution of doing whatever good of this kind we shall at any time discern occasion for and then whenever that occasion is offered we are to look on it as a call as it were from heaven to put that resolution in practice This part of charity seems to be so much implanted in our natures as we are men that we generally account them not only unchristian but inhumane that are void of it and therefore I hope there will not need much perswasion to it since our very nature inclines us but certainly that very consideration will serve hugely to encrease the guilt of those that are wanting in it For since this command is so agreeable even to flesh and blood our disobedience to it can proceed of nothing but a stubbornesse and resistance against God who gives it PARTITION XVII Of CHARITY Alms giving c. Of Charity in respect of our Neighbours Credit c. Of PEACE-MAKING Of going to Law Of Charity to our Enemies c. CHRISTIAN-DUTIES both l'OSSIBLE and PLEASANT § 1 THE third way of expressing this Charity is towards the goods or estate of our neighbour we are to endeavour his thriving and prosperity in these outward good things and to that end be willing to assist and farther him in all honest wayes of improving or preserving them by any neighbourly and friendly office Opportunities of this do many times
ECCLESIA ANGLICANA Read Pray The WHOLE DUTY of MAN Plainly layd down for the use of the meanest Reader with PRAYERS 〈…〉 Take heed and beware of false Prophets Matt. 7. The Practice of Christian Graces OR The WHOLE Duty OF Man LAID DOWN In a Plaine and Familiar WAY for the Use of All but especially the MEANEST READER Divided into XVII CHAPTERS ONE whereof being read every LORDS DAY the Whole may be read over THRICE in the YEAR WITH PRIVATE DEVOTIONS For Several OCCASIONS Viz. For MORNING EVENING SACRAMENT The SICK c. Times of PUB CALAMITIES London Printed by â— Maxwell for T. Garthwait at the little North door of S. Pauls 1658. Mr. GARTHVVAIT YOu needed not any Intercession to recommend this task to me which brought its Invitations and Reward with it I very willingly Read over all the sheets both of the Discourse and the Devotions annext and find great cause to bless God for both not discerning what is wanting in any part of either to render it with Gods blessing most sufficient and proper to the great End designed the Spiritual supplies and advantages of all those that shall be exercised therein The subject matter of it is indeed what the Title undertakes The whole Duty of Man Set down in all the Branches with those advantages of brevity and Partitions to invite and support and engage the Reader That Condescension to the meanest capacities but with all That weight of Spiritual Arguments wherein the best proficients will be glad to be assisted that it seems to me equally fitted for both sorts of Readers which shall bring with them a sincere desire of their own either present or future advantages The Devotion part in the conclusion is no way inferior being a most seasonable aid to every mans infirmities and hath extended it self very particularly to all our principal concernments The Introduction hath supplyed the place of a Preface which you seem to desire from me and leaves me no more to add but my Prayers to God That the Author which hath taken care to conveigh so liberal an Alms to the Corban so secretly may not miss to be rewarded openly in the visible power and benefit of this work on the hearts of the whole Nation which was never in more need of such supplies as are here afforded That His Allsufficient Grace will bless the seed sown and give an abundant encrease is the humblest request of March 7. 1657. Your assured Friend H. HAMMOND A TABLE Of the CONTENTS of the several CHAPTERS or PARTITIOâ—S in this Book Which according to this Division by Reading one of these Chapters every Lords Day the whole may be Read over Thrice in the year PARTITION 1. OF the Duty of Man by the light of Nature by the light of Scripture Of Faith the Promises of Hope of Love c. page 1. PARTITION 2. Of Humility of Submission to Gods Will in respect of Obedience of Patience in all sorts of Sufferings and of Honour due to God in several wayes in his House Possessions His Day Word Sacraments c. page 34. PARTITION 3. Of the Lords Supper Of Preparation before Receiving of Duties to be done at the Receiving and afterwards c. page 67. PARTITION 4. Honour due to Gods Name Of Sinning against it Blasphemy Swearing Assertory Oaths Promissory Oaths Vnlawful Oaths Of Perjury Of Vain Oaths and the Sin of them c. page 98. PARTITION 5. Of Worship due to Gods Name Of Prayer and its several parts Of Publick Prayers iâ— the Church in the Family Of Private Prayâ—er Of Repentance c. Of Fâ—sting page 109 PARTITION 6. Of Duties to our Selves Of Sobriety Humility The great Sin of Pride the Danger the Folly of this Sin Of Vain-Glory the Danger Folly Means to prevent it Oâ— Meekness the Means to obtain it c. page 136 PARTITION 7. Of Contentedness and the Contraries tâ— it Murmuring Ambition Covetoâ—sness Envy Helps to Contentedness Of Dutie which concern our Bodies Of Chastity Helpâ— to it Temperance Rules of Temperance iâ— Eating c. page 158. PARTITION 8. Of Temperance in Drinking False Ends oâ— Drinking viz. Good fellowship Putting away Cares c. page 177. PARTITION 9. Temperance in Sleep The Rule of it c. Of Recreation of Apparel page 197 PARTITION 10. Of Duties to our Neighbours Of Justice Negative and Positive Of the Sin of Murâ—her Of the Hainousness of it The Punishments of it And the Strange Discoveries thereof Of Maiming Wounds and stripes page 206. PARTITION 11. Of Justice about the Possessions of our Neighbour Against Injuring him as Concerning his Wife His Goods Of Malice Covetousness Oppression Theft Of Paying Debts c. page 226. PARTITION 12. Of Theft Stealing the Goods of our Neighbour Of Deceit in Trust in Traffick Of Restitution c. page 238. PARTITION 13. Of False Reports False Witness Slanders Whisperings Of Despising and Scoffing for Infirmities Calamities Sins c. Of Positive Justice Speaking the Truth Of Lying Of Humility and Pride Of Envy Detraction Of Gratitude c. page 251. PARTITION 14. Of Duty to Parents Magistrates Pastors c. Of the Duty of Parents to Children c. page 278. PARTITION 15. Of Duty to our Brethren and Relations Husband Wife Friends Masters Servants page 305. PARTITION 16. Other Branches of our Duty to our Neighbour Of Charity to Mens Souls Bodiesâ— Goods c. page 329. PARTITION 17. Of Charity Alms-giving c. Of Charity in respect of our Neighbours Credit Of Peace-making Of going to Law Of Charity to our Enemies c. Christian Duties both Possible and pleasant page 358. A TABLE of the PRAYERS Prayers for Morning 562 Prayers for Night 570 Collects for several Graces 577 A Paraphrase on the Lords Prayer 591 Pious Ejaculations out of the Book of Psalms 594 Brief heads of Examination before the Sacrament 598 Prayers before the Sacrament 613 Ejaculations at the Lords Table c 619 Prayers after the Sacrament 621 Prayers for the Sick 631 Ejaculations for the Sick 63â— Prayers for Publick Calamities 644 A PREFACE To the ensuing TREATISE Shewing the Necessity of Caring for the Soul § 1. THE only intent of this ensuing Treatise is to be a short plain direction to the very meanest Readers to behave themselves so in this world that they may be happy for ever in the next But because 't is in vain to tell men their duties till they be perswaded of the necessity of performing it I shall before I proceed to the particulars required of every Christian endeavour to win them to the practice of one general duty preparatory to all the rest and that is the consideration and care of their own Souls without which they will never think themselves much concern'd in the other 2. Man We know is made up of two parts a body and a soul The body only the husk or shell of the soul a lump of flesh subject to many diseases and pains while it lives and at last to death it self and
not from that conceit excuse your neglect of them I shall hasten to shew you the contrary by proceeding to the fourth motive of care 15. That fourth motive is the liklyhood that our care will not be in vain but that it wilâ— be a means to preserve the thing cared for where this is wanting it disheartens our care A Physician leaves his patient when he sees him past hope as knowing it is then in vain to give him any thing but on the contrary when he sees hopes of recovery he plies him with medicines Nâ—â— in this very respect we have a great deal of reason to take care of our souls for they are not so far gone but they may be recovered nay it is certain they will if we do our parts towards it 16. For though by that sin of Adam alâ— mankind were under the sentence of eternal condemnation yet it 〈◊〉 God so far to pity oâ—r misery as to give us his son and in him to make a new Covenant with us after we had broken the first 17. This SECOND COVENANT was made with Adam us in him presently after his fall is briefly contained in those words Gen. 3. 15. Where God declares that the SEED OF THE WOMAN SHALL BREAK THE SERPENTS HEAD and this was made up as the first was of some mercies to be afforded by God and some duties to be performed by us 18. God therein promises to send his only Son who is God equal with himself to earth to become man like unto us in all things sin only excepted and he to do for us these several things 19. First to make known to us the whole will of his Father in the performance whereof we shall be sure to be accepted and rewarded by him And this was one great part of his business which he performed in those many Sermons and precepts we find set down in the Gospel And herein he is our prophet it being the work of a prophet of old not only to foretel but to teach Our duty in this particular is to hearken diligently to him to be most ready and desirous to learn that will of God which he came from heaven to reveal to us This 2d thing he was to do for us was to satisfie God for our sins not only that one of Adam but all the sins of all mankind that truly repent and amend by this means to obtain for us forgiveness of sins the favour of God and so to redeem us from hell and eternal damnation which was the punishment due to our sin All this he did for us by his death he offered up himself a sacrifice for the sins of all those who heartily bewail and forsake them And in this he is our Priest it being the Priests office to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people Our duty in this particular is first truly and heartily to repent us of and forsake our sins without which they will never be forgiven us though Christ have died Secondly Stedfastly to believe that if we do that we shall have the benefits of that sacrifice of his all our sins how many and great soever shall be forgiven us and we saved from those eternal punishments which were due unto us for them Another part of the Priests office was blessing and praying for the people and this also Christ performs to us It was his especial commission from his Father to bless us as St. Peter tels us Acts 3. 26. God sent his Son Jesus to bless you and the following words shew wherein that blessing consists in turning away every one of you from his iniquity those means which he has used for the turning us from our sins are to be reckoned of all other the greatest blessings and for the other part shat of praying that he not only performed on earth but continues still to do it in Heaven He sits on the right hand of God and makes Request for us Rom. 8 34. Our duty herein is not to resist this unspeakable blessing of his but to be willing to be thus blest in the being turned from our sins and not to make void and fruitless all his prayers and intercessions for us which will never prevail for us whilst we continue in them 21. The third thing that Christ was to do for us was to enable us or give us strength to do what God requires of us This he doth first by taking off from the hardness of the Law given to Adam which was never to commit the least sin upon pain of damnation and requiring of us onely an honest and hearty endeavour to do what we are able and where we fail accepting of sincere repentance Secondly By sending his Holy Spirit into our hearts to govern and rule us to give us strength to overcome temptations to sin and to do all that he now under the Gospel requires of us And in this he is our King it being the office of a King to govern and rule to subdue enemies Our duty in this particular is to give up our selves obedient subjects of his to be governed and ruled by him to obey all his Lawes not to take part with any Rebel that is not to cherish any one sin But diligently to pray for his grace to enable us to subdue all and then carefully to make use of it to that purpose 22. Lastly He has purchased for all that faithfully obey him an eternal glorious inheritance the Kingdom of Heaven whether he is gone before to take possession for us Our duty herein is to be exceeding careful that we forfeit not our parts in it which we shall certainly do if we continue impenitent in any sin Secondly Not to fasten our affections on this world but to raise them up according to the precept of the Apostle Col. 2. 2. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth continually longing to come to the possession of that blessed inheritance of ours in comparison whereof all things here below should seem vile and mean to us 23. This is the summe of that second Covenant we are now under wherein you see what Christ has done how he executes those three great offices of King Priest and Prophet as also what is required of us without our Faithful performance whereof all that he hath done shall never stand us in any stead For he will never be a Priest to save any who take him not as well for their Prophet to teach and their King to rule them nay if we neglect our part of this Covenant our condition will be yet worse then if it had never been made for we shall then be to answer not for the breach of Law onely as in the first but for the abuse of mercy which is of all sins the most provoking On the other side if 〈◊〉 faithfully perform it That is set our selves heartily to the obeying of every precept of Christ not going on wilfully in any one sin but
thou enterest the Church remember that it is the house of God a place where he is in an especial manner present and therefore take the counsel of the wise man Eccles. 5. 1. And keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God that is behave thy self with that godly awe and reverence which belongs to that great Majestie thou art before Remember that thy business there is to converse with God and therefore shut out all thoughts of the world even of thy most lawful business which though they be allowable at another time are here sinful How fearful a guilt is it then to entertain any such thoughts as are in themselves wicked It is like the treason of Judas who pretended indeed to come to kiss his Master buâ— brought with him a band of souldiers to apprehend him Mat. 26. We make shew in our coming to Church of serving and worshipping God but we bring with us a train of his enemies to provoke and despite him This is a wickedness that may outâ—ie the profaneness of these dayes in turnâ—ng Churches into stables for sinful and â—olluted thoughts are much the worst sort of â—beasts 14. The Second thing to which respect belongs is his revenue or income that is whatsoever is his peculiar possessions set apart for the maintenance of those that attend his service those were the Priests in time of the Law and Ministers of the Gospel now with us And what ever is thus set apart we must look on with such respect as not to dare to turn it to any other use Of this sort some are the free-will-offerings of men who have sometimes of their own accord given some of their goods or lands to this holy use and whatsoever is so given can neither by the person that gave it nor any other be taken away without great that sin of sacriledg 15. But besides these there was among the Jews and hath alwayes been in all Christian Nations something allotted by the Law of the Nation for the support and maintenance of those that attend the service of God And it is but just and necessary it should be so that those who by undertaking that Calling are taken off from the wayes of gaining a livelyhood in the world should be provided for by them whose souls they watch over And therefore it is most reasonable which the Apostle urges in this matter 1 Cor. 9. 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shal reap your carnal things That is the most unreasonable for men to grudg the bestowing a few carnal things the outward necessaries of this temporal life on them from whom they receive spiritual things even instruction and assistance towards the obtaining an eternal life 16. Now whatsoever is thus appointed for this use may by no means be imployed to any other And therefore those tithes which are here by Law allotted for the maintenance of the Ministry must by no means be kept back nor any tricks or shifts used to avoid the payment either in whole or in part For first it is certain that it is as truly theft as any other robbery can be Ministers having right to their tithes by the same Law which gives any other man right to his estate But then Secondly it is another manner of robbery then we think of it is a robbing of God whose service they were given to maintain and that you may not doubt the truth of this it is no more then God himself hath said of it Mal. 3. 8. Will a man rob God yet ye have robbed me yet ye say wherein have we robbed thee in tithes and offerings Here it is most plain that in Gods account the withholding tithes is a robbing of him And if you please you may in the next verse see what the gains of this robbery amounts to Yea are cursed with a curse A curse is all is gotten by it and common experience shews us that Gods vengeance doth in a remarkable manner pursue this sin of Sacriledg whether it be that of withholding tithes or the other of seizing on those possessions which have been voluntarily consecrated to God Men think to inrich themselves by it but it usually proves directly contrary this unlawful gain becomes such a Canker in the estate as often eates out even that we had a just title too And therefore if you love I will not say your souls but your estates preserve them from that danger by a strict care never to meddle with anything set a part for God 17. A Third thing wherein we are to express our reverence to God is the hallowing of the times set apart for his service He who hath given all our time requires some part of it to be paid back again as a rent or tribute of the whole Thus the Jews kept holy the seventh day and we Christians the Sunday or Lords day the Jews were in their Sabbath especially to remember the Creation of the world and we in ours the resurrection of Christ by which a way is made for us into that better world we expect hereafter Now this day thus set a part is to be imployed in the worship and service of God and that first more solemnly and publickly in the Congregation from which no man must then absent himself without a just cause and Secondly privatly at home in praying with and instructing our families or else in the yet more private duties of the closet a mans own private prayers reading meditating and the like And that we may be at leisure for these a rest from all our worldly business is commanded therefore let no man think that a bare rest from labour is all that is required of him on the Lords day but the time which he saves from the works of his calling he is to lay out on those spiritual duties For the Lords Day was never ordained to give us a pretence for idleness but only to change our imployment from worldly to heavenly much lesse was it meant that by our rest from our callings we should have more time free to bestow upon our sins as too many do who are more constant on that day at the Alehouse then the Church But this rest was commanded first to shadow out to us that rest from sin which we are bound to all the dayes of our lives And secondly to take us off from our worldly business and to give us time to attend the service of God and the need of our souls 18. And surely if we rightly consider it it is a very great benefit to us that there is such a set time thus weekly returning for that purpose We are very intent and busy upon the world and if there were not some such time appointed to our hands it is to be doubted we should hardly allot any our selves And then what a starved condition must these poor soules of ours be in that shall never be afforded a meal
differ in kind and degree between one man and another But it is sure that he which receives least hath yet enough to imploy his whole life in praises to God And it will be very fit for every man to consider the several passages of this life and the mercies he hath in each received and so to gather a kind of list or Catalogue of them at least the principal of them which he may alwayes have in his memory and after with a thankful heart repeat before God 11. These are the several parts of prayer and all of them to be used both publickly and privately The publick use of them is first that in the Church where all meet to joyn in those prayers wherein they are in common concerned And this where the prayers are such as they ought to be we should be very constant at there being an especial blessing promised to the joynt requests of the faithful and he that without a necessary cause absents himself from such publick prayers cuts himself off from the Church which hath alwayes been thought so unhappy a thing that it is the greatest punishment the Governours of the Church can lay upon the worst offender and therefore it is a strange madness for men to inflict it upon themselves 12. A second sort of publick prayer is that in a family where all that are members of it joyn in their common supplications and this also ought to be very careful attended to first by the Master of the Family who is to look that there be such prayers it being as much his part thus to provide for the souls of his children and servants as to provide food for their bodies Therefore there is none even the meanest housholder but ought to take this care If either himself or any of his Family can read he may use some prayers out of some good book if it be the service book of the Church he makes a good choice if they cannot read it will then be necessary they should be taught without book some form of prayer which they may use in the Family for which purpose again some of the prayers of the Church will be very fit as being most easie for their memories by reason of their shortness and yet containing a great deal of matter But what choice soever they make of Prayers let them be sure to have some and let no man that professes himself a Christian keep so heathenish a Family as not to see God be daily worshipped in it But when the Master of a Family hath done his duty in this providing it is the duty of every member of it to make use of that provision by being constant and diligent at those family-Family-Prayers 13. Private or secret Prayer is that which is used by a man alone a part from all others wherein we are to be more particular according to our peculiar needs then in publick it is fit to be And this of private prayer is a duty which will not be excused by the performance of the other of publick They are both required and one must not be taken in exchange for the other And whoever is diligent in publick prayers and yet negligent in private it is much to be feared he rather seeks to approve himself to men then to God contrary to the command of our Saviour Mat. 6. Who enjoyns this private prayer this praying to our Father in secret from whom alone we are to expect our reward and not from the vain praises of men 14. Now this duty of Prayer is to be often performed by none seldomer then evening and morning it being most necessary that we should thus begin and end all our works with God and that not only in respect of the duty we owe him but also in respect of our selves who can never be either prosperous or safe but by committing our selves to him and therefore should tremble to venture on the perils either of day or night without his safeguard How much oftner this duty is to be performed must be judged according to the business or leisure men have where by business I mean not such business as men unprofitably make to themselves but the necessary business of a mans calling which with some will not afford them much time for set and solemn Prayer But even these men may often in a day lift up their hearts to God in some short Prayers even whilst they are at their work As for those that have more leisure they are in all reason to bestow more time upon this duty And let no man that can find time to bestow upon his vanities nay perhaps his sins say be wants leisure for prayer but let him now endeavour to redeem what he hath so mispent by imploying more of that leisure in this duty for the future And surely if we did but rightly weigh how much it is our own advantage to perform this duty we should think it wisdom to be as frequent as we are ordinarily solemn in it 15. For first it is a great honour for us poor woâ—mes of the earth to be allowed to speak so freely to the great Majesty of heaven if a King should but vouchsafe to let one of his meanest subjects talk familiarly and freely with him it would be looked on as a huge honour that man how despiseable soever he were before would then be the envy of all his neighbours and there is little question he would be willing to take all opportunities of receiving so great a grace But alas this is nothing to the honour is offered us who are allowed nay invited to speak to and converse with the King of Kings and therefore how forward should we in all reason be to it 16. Secondly it is a great benefit even the greatest that can be imagined for prayer is the instrument of fetching down all good things to us whether spiritual or temporal no prayer that is qualified as it ought to be but is sure to bring down a blessing according to that of the wise man Eccl. 35. 17. The Prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds and will not turn away till the highest regard it You would think him a happy man that had one certain means of helping him to what ever he wanted though it were to cost him much pains and labour now this happy man thou mayst be if thou wilt Prayer is the never-failing means of bringing thee if not all that thou thinkest thou wantest yet all that indeed thou dost that is all that God sees fit for thee And therefore be there never so much weariness to thy flesh in the duty yet considering in what continual want thou standest for something or other from God it is madness to let that uneasiness dishearten thee and keep thee from this so sure meanes of supplying thy wants 17. But in the third place this duty is in it self so far from being uneasie that it is very pleasant God is
the fountain of happiness and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. 11. And therefore the nearer we draw to him the happier we must needs be the very joys of heaven arising from our neerness to God Now in this life we have no way of drawing so neer to him as by this of Prayer and therefore surely it is that which in it self is apt to afford abundance of delight and pleasure if it seem otherwise to us it is from some distemper of our own hearts which like a sick palate cannot relish the most pleasant meat Prayer is a pleasant duty but it is withal a spiritual one and therefore if thy heart be carnal if that be set either on the contrary pleasures of the flesh or dross of the world no marvail then if thou taste no pleasantness in it if like the Israelites thou despise Manna whilst thou longest after the flesh pots of Egypt Therefore if thou find a weariness in this duty suspect thy self purge and refine thy heart from the love of all sin and endeavour to put it into a heavenly and spiritual trance and then thou wilt find this no unpleasant exercise but full of delight and satisfaction In the mean time complain not of the hardness of the duty but of the untowardness of thy own heart 18. But there may also be another reason of its seeming unpleasant to us and that iâ— want of use You know there are many things which seem uneasie at the first tryal which yet after we are accustomed to them seem very delightful and if this by thy case then thou knowest a ready cure viz to use it oftner and so this consideration naturally inforces the exhortation of being frequent in this duty 19. But we are not only to consider how often but how well we perform it Now to do it well we are to respect first the matter of our Prayers to look that we ask nothing that is unlawful as revenge upon our enemies or the like secondly the manner and that must be first in faith we must believe that if we ask as we ought God will either give us the thing we ask for or else something which he sees better for us And then secondly in humility we must acknowledg our selves utterly unworthy of any of those good things we beg for and therefore sue for them only for Christs sake thirdly with attention we must mind what we are about and not suffer our selves to be carried away to the thought of other things I told you at the first that Prayer was the business of the soul but if our minds be wandering it is the work only of the tongue and lips which makes it in Gods account no better then vain babbling and so will never bring a blessing on us Nay as Jacob said to his mother Gen. 27. 12. It will be more likely to bring a curse on us then a blessing for it is a profaning one of the most solemn parts of Gods service it is a piece of Hypocrisie the drawing neer to him with our lip when our hearts are far from him and a great slighting and despising that dreadful Majesty we come before And as to our selves it is a most ridiculous folly that we who come to God upon such weighty errands as are all the concernments of our souls and bodies should in the midst forget our business and pursue every the lightest thing that either our own vain fancies or the Divel whose business it is here to hinder us can offer to us It is just as if a malefactor that comes to sue for his life to the King should in the midst of his supplication happen to espie a butterflie and then should leave his suit run a chace after that butterflie Would you not think it pitty a pardon should be cast away upon so wretchless a creature And sure it will be as unreasonable to expect that God should attend grant those suits of ours which we do not at all consider our selves 20. This wandring in Prayer is a thing we are much concerned to arm our selves against it being that to which we are naturally wonderful prone To that end it will be necessary first to possess our hearts at our coming to Prayers with the greatness of that Majesty we are to approach that so we may dread to be vain and trifling in his presence Secondly We are to consider the great concernment of the things we are to ask some whereof are such that if we should not be heard we were of all creatures the most miserable yet this wandring is the way to keep us from being heard Thirdly We are to beg Gods aid in this particular And therefore when thou settest to Prayer let thy first petition be for this grace of attention 21. Lastly Be as watchful as is possible over thy heart in time of prayer to keep out all wandering thoughts or if any have gotten in let them not find entertainment but as soon as ever thou discernest them suffer them not to abide one moment but cast them out with indignation and beg Gods pardon for them And if thou dost thus sincerely and diligently strive against them either God will enable thee in some measure to overcome them or he will in his mercy pardon thee what thou canst not prevent But if it be through thy own negligence thou art to expect neither so long as that negligence continues 22. In the fourth place we must look our Prayers be with zeal and earnestness it is not enough that we so far attend them as barely to know what it is we say but we must put forth all the affection and devotion of our souls and that according to the several parts of Prayer before mentioned It is not the cold faint request that will ever obtain from God We see it will not from our selves for if a beggar should ask relief from us and do it in such a scornful manner that he seemed indifferent whether he had it or no we should think he had either little want or great pride and so have no heart to give him Now surely the things we ask from God are so much above the rule of an ordinary almes that we can never expect they should be given to slight and heartless petitions No more in like manner will our Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving ever be accepted by him if it be not offered from a heart truly affected with the sence of his mercies it 's but a kind of formal complementing which wil never be approved by him who requires the heart and not the lips only And the like may be said of all the other parts of Prayer Therefore be careful when thou drawest nigh to God in Prayer to raise up thy soul to the highest pitch of zeal and earnestness thou art able And because of thy self alone thou art not able to do any
thing beseech God that he will inflame thy heart with this heavenly fire of devotiâ—n and when thou hast obtained it beware that thou neither quench it by any wilful sin nor let it go out again for want of stirring it up and imploying it 23. Fifthly we must Pray with purity I mean we must purge our hearts from all affections to sin This is surely the meaning of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 8. When he commands men to lift up holy hands in Prayer and he there instances in one special sort of sin wrath and doubting whereby doubting is meant those unkind disputes and contentions which are so common amongst men And surely he that cherishes that or any other sin in hiâ— heart can never lift up those holy hands which are required in this duty And then sure his prayers be they never so many or earnest will little avail him The Psalmist will tell him he shall not be heard Psal. 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Nay Solomon will tell him yet worse that his prayers are not onely vain but abominable Pro. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. And thus to have our prayers turned into sin is one of the heaviest things can befal any man we see it is set down in that sad Catalogue of curses Psal. 109. 7. Therefore let us not be so cruel to our selves as to pull it upon our own heads which we certainly do if we offer up prayers from an impure heart 24. In the last place we must direct our prayers to right ends And that either in the respect of the prayer it self or the things we pray for First we must pray not to gain the praise of devotion amongst men like those hypocrites Mat. 6. 5. Nor yet onely for company or fashion sake to do as other do But we must do it first as an act of worship to God Secondly as an acknowledgment that he is that great spring from whence alone we expect all good things And thirdly to gain a supply of our own or others needs Then in respect of the things prayed for we must be sure to have no ill aimes upon them we must not ask that we may consume it upon our lusts Ia. 4. 3. as those do who pray for wealth that they may live in riot and excess and for power that they may be able to mischief their enemies and the like But our end in all must be Gods glory first and next that our own and others Salvation and all other things must be taken in onely as they tend to those which they can never do if we abuse them to sin I have now done with that first part of worship that of the Soul 25. The other is that of the body and that is nothing else but such humble and reverent gestures in our approaches to God as may both express the inward reverence of our Souls and may also pay him some tribute from our very bodies with which the Apostle commands us to glorify God as well as with our Souls and good reason since he hath created and redeemed the one as well as the other whensoever therefore thou offerest thy prayers unto God let it be with all lowliness as well of body as of mind according to that of the Psalmist Psal. 95. 6. O come let us worship let us fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker 26. The ninth duty to God is REPENTANCE That this is a duty to God we are taught by the Apostle Acts 20. 21. where speaking of repentance he stiles it repentance towards God And there is good reason this should be a duty to him since there is no sin we commit but is either mediatly or immediatly against him For though there be sins both against our selves and our neighbours yet they being forbidden by God they are also breaches of his Commandements and so sins against him This repentance is in short nothing but a turning frâ—m sin to God the casting off all our former evils and in stead thereof constantly practising all those Christian duties which God requireth of us And this is so necessary a duty that without it we certainly perish we have Christs word for it Luke 13. 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish 27. The directions for performing the several parts of this duty have been already given in the preparation to the Lords Supper and thither I refer the reader Onely I shall here mind him that it is to be lookt upon as a duty to be practised onely at the time of receiving the Sacrament For this being the onely remedy against the poyson of sin we must renew it as often as we repeat our sins that is daily I mean we must every day repent of the sins of that day for what Christ saith of other evils is true also of this sufficient to the day is the evil thereof we have sins enough of each day to exercise a daily repentance and therefore every man must thus daily call himself to account 28. But as it is in accounts they who constantly set down their daily expences have yet some set time of casting up the whole summe as at the end of the week or moneth so should it also be here we should set aside some time to humble our selves solemnly before God for the sins not of that day onely but of our whole lives And the frequenter these times are the better For the oftner we thus cast up our accounts with God and see vast debts we are run in to him the more humbly shall we think of our selves and the more shall thirst after his mercy which two are the special things that must qualify us for his pardon He therefore that can assign himself one day in the week for this purpose will take a thriving course for his Soul Or if any mans state of life be so busie as not to afford him to do it so often let him yet come as neer to that frequency as is possible for him remembring alwayes that none of his worldly imployments can bring him in neer so gainful a return as this spiritual one will do and therefore it is very ill husbandry to pursue them to the neglect of this 29. Besides these constant times there are likewise occasion all times for the performance of this duty such especially are the times of calamity and affliction for when any such befals us we are to look on it as a message sent from Heaven to call us to this duty and therefore must never neglect it when we are thus summoned to it lest we be of the number of them who despise the chastisements of the Lord Heb. 12. 5. 30. There is yet another time of repentance which in the practice of men hath gotten away the custome from all those and that is the time of death which it is true is
that no man is accounted wise without it A rash man we look upon as the next degree to a fool And yet it is sure there is not so much need of looking about us in any thing as in what concerns our souls and that not only in respect of the great value of them above all things else but also in regard of the great danger they are in as hath been shewed more at large in the beginning of the treatise 24 Secondly We are to consider our actions when they are past also that is we are to examine whether they have been such as are allowable by the Laws of Christ This is very necessary whether they be good or bad if they be good the recalling them helpeth us to the comfort of a good conscience and that comfort again incourageth us to go on in the like and besides it stirrs us up to thankfulness to God by whose grace alone we were enabled to do them But if they be bad then it is especially necessary that we thus examine them for without this it is impossible we should ever come to amendment for unless we observe them to have been amiss we can never think it needful to amend But shall still run on from one wickedness to another which is the greatest curse any man can lie upon 25. The oftner therefore we use this consideration the better for the less likely it is that any of our sins shall escape our knowledg It is much to be wisht that every man should thus every night try the actions of the day that so if he have done any things amisse he may soon check himself for it and settle his resolutions against it and not let it grow on to a habit and course And that he may also early beg Gods pardon which will the easier be had the sooner it is asked every delay of that being a great increase of the sin And surely whoever means to take account of himself at all will find this the easiest course it being much easier to do it so a little at a time and while passages are fresh in his memory thâ—n to take the account of a long time together Now if it be considered that every wilful sin must have a particular repentance before it can be pardoned me thinks men should tremble to sleep without that repentance for what assurance hath any man that lies down in his bed that he shall ever rise again and then how dangerous is the condition of that man that sleeps in an unrepented sin The weighing of these several motives may be a means by Gods blessing to bring us to the practice of this duty of consideration in all the parts of it PARTITION VII Of CONTENTEDNES and the Contraries to it Murmuring Ambition Covetousness Envy Helps to Contentedness Of DUTIES which concern our BODIES Of CHASTITY c. Helps to it Of TEMPERANCE Rule of Temperance in EATING § 1. THe fourth vertue is contendedness and this surely is a duty we much own to our selves it being that without which it is impossible to be happy This contentedness is a well-pleasedness with that condition whatever it is that God hath placed us not murmuring and repining of our lot but cheerfully well-câ—ming whatsoever God sends How great and withal how pleasant a vertue this is may appear by the contrariety it hath to several great and painful vices so that where this is rooted in the heart it subdues not only some such single sin but â— cluster of them together 2. And first it is contrary to all murmuring iâ— general which is a sin most hateful to God as may appear by his sharp punishments of it on the Israelites in the wilderness as you may read in several places of the book of Exodus and Numbers And sure it is also very painful and uneasie to a mans self for if as the Psalmist saith it be a joyful and pleasant thing to be thankful we may by the rule of contraries conclude it is a sad and unpleasant thing to be murmuring and I doubt not every mans own experience will confirm the truth of it 3. Secondly It is contrary to ambition the ambitions man is alwayes disliking his present condition and that makes him so greedily to seek a higher whereas he that is content with his own lies quiet out of the road of his temptation Now ambition is not only a great sin in it self but it puts men upon many other There is nothing so horrid which a man that eagerly seeks greatness will stick at lying perjury murder or any thing will down with him if they seem to tend to his advancement And the uneasiness of it is answerable to the sin This none can doubt of that considers what a multitude of fears and jealousies cares and distractions there are that attend ambition in its progresse besides the great and publick ruines that usually befal it in the end And therefore sure contentedness is in this respect as well a happines as a vertue 4. Thirdly it is contrary to covetousness this the Apostle witnesseth Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have where you see contentedness is set as the direct contrary to covetousness But of this there needs no other proof then common experience for we see the covetous man never thinks he hath enough and therefore can never be content for no man can be said to be so that thirsts after any thing he hath not Now that you may see how excellent and necessary a virtue this is that secures us against covetousness it will not be amiss a little to consider the nature of that sin 5. That it is a very great crime is most certain for it is contrary to the very foundation of all good life I mean those three great duties to God to our selves to our neighbour First It is so contrary to our duty to God that Christ himself tels us Luk. 16 13. We cannot serve God and Mammon he that sets his heart upon wealth must necessarily take it off from God And this we daily see in the covetous mans practice he is so eager in the gaining of riches that he hath no time or care to perform duty to God let but a good bargain or opportunity of gain come in his way prayer and all duties of Religion must be neglected to attend it Nay when the committing the greatest sin against God may be likely either to get or save him ought his love of wealth quickly perswades him to commit it 6. Secondly It is contrary to the duty we owe our selves and that both in respect of our Souls and bodies The covetous man despises his Soul sels that to eternal destruction for a little pelf For so every man does that by any unlawful means seeks to enrich himself Nay though he do it not by unlawful means yet if he have once set his heart
person to his benefactor that is one that hath done him good of what kind soever whether spiritual or corporal and the duty of that person is first thankfulness that is a ready and hearty acknowledgment of the courtesie received secondly prayer for Gods blessings and rewards upon him and thirdly an endeavour as opportunity and ability serves to make returns of kindness by doing good turnes back again This duty of gratitude to benefactors is so generally acknowledged by all even the most barbarous and savagest of men that he must have put off much of his humane nature that refuses to perform it The very Publicans and sinners as our Saviour sayes do good to those that do good to them 35. Yet how many of us fail even in this how frequent is it to see men not only neglect to repay courtesies but return injuries in stead of them It is too observable in many particulars but in none more then in the case of advice and admonition which is of all others the most precious part of kindness the reallest good turn that can be done from one man to another And therefore those that do this to us should be look't on as our prime and greatest benefactors But alas how few are there that can find gratitude shall I say nay patience for such a courtesie Go about to admonish a man of a fault or tell him of an error he presently looks on you as his enemy you are as St. Paul tells the Galatians Chap. 4. 16. become his enemy because you tell him the truth such a pride there is in mens hearts that they must not be told of any thing amiss though it be with no other intent but that they may amend it A strange madness this is the same that it would be in a sick man to flie in the face of him that comes to cure him on a fancy that he disparaged him in supposing him sick so that we may well say with the wise man Pro. 12. 1. He that hateth reproofe is brutish There cannot be in the world a more happy temper for it fortifies a man in his sins raises such mounts and bulwarks about them that no man can come to assault them and if we may believe Solomon destruction will not fail to attend it Pro. 29. 1. He that being of ten reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy But then again in respect of the admonisher 't is the greatest injustice I may say cruelty that can be he comes in tenderness and compassion to rescue thee from a danger and to that purpose puts himself upon a very uneasy task for such the general impatience men have to admonition hath now made it and what a defeat what a grief is it to him to find that in stead of reforming the first fault thou art run into a second to wit that of causeless displeasure against him This is one of the worst and yet I doubt the commonest sort of unthankfulness to benefactors and so a great failing in that duty we owe to that sort of relation But perhaps these will be look't on as remote relations yet 't is sure they are such as challenge all that duty I have assigned to them I shall in the next place proceed to those relations which are by all acknowledged to be of the greatest neerness PARTITION XIV Of DUTY to PARENTS Magistrates Pastors c. Of the DUTY of PARENTS to Children c. § 1. THE first of those neerer sorts of relations is that of a Parent And here it will be necessary to consider the several sorts of Parents according to which the duty to them is to be measured Those are these three the Civil the Spiritual the Natural 2. The Civil Parent is he whom God hath establisht the Supreme Magistrate who by a just right possesses the throne in a Nation This is the common Father of all those that are under his authority The duty we owe to this Parent is first Honour and Reverence looking on him as upon one on whom God hath stamped much of his own power and authority and therefore paying him all honour and esteem never daring upon any pretence whatsoever to speak evil of the ruler of our people Acts 23. 5. 3. Secondly Paying Tribute This is expresly commanded by the Apostle Rom. 13. 6. Pay ye tribute also for they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing God has set them apart as Ministers for the common good of the people and therefore 't is all justice they should be maintained and supported by them And indeed when it is considered what are the cares and troubles of that high calling how many thorns are plated in every Crown we have very little reason to envy them these dues and it may truly be said there is none of their poor labouring subjects that earns their living so hardly 4. Thirdly We are to pray for them this is also expresly commanded by the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 2. to be done for Kings and for all that are in authority The businesses of that calling are so weighty the dangers and hazards of it so great that they of all others need prayers for Gods direction assistance and blessing and the prayers that are thus poured out for them will return into our own bosomes for the blessings they receive from God tend to the good of the people to their living a quiet and peaceable life as it is in the close of the verse forementioned 5. Fourthly We are to pay them Obedience This is likewise strictly charged by the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as those that are sent by him We owe such an obedience to the Supreme power that whoever is authorised by him we are to submit to and St. Paul likewise is most full to this purpose Rom. 13. 1. Let every Soul be subject to the higher powers and again ver 2. Whosoever resisteth the pouers resisteth the Ordinance of God And 't is observable that these precepts were given at a time when those powers were Heathens and cruel persecutors of Christianity to shew us that no pretence of the wickedness of our rulers can free us of this duty An obedience we must pay either active or passive the active in the case of all lawful commands That is whenever the Magistrate commands something which is not contrary to some Command of God we are then bound to act according to that command of the Magistrate to do the thing he requires But when he injoins any thing contrary to what God hath Commanded we are not then to pay him this active obedience we may nay we must refuse thus to act yet here we must be very well assured that the thing is so contrary and not pretend conscience for a cloak of stubborness we are in
which we must constantly do what storms and persecutions soever attend it according to the exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 10. 22. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Secondly we are also as opportunity serves to communicate with them in all holy offices we must be diligent in frequenting the assemblies of the Saints which is as it were the badg of our profession and therefore he that willingly withdraws himself from these gives ground to suspect he will be apt to renounce the other also But these parts of communion we find strictly maintained by the first Christians Acts 2. 42. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers they continued and that stedfastly they were not frighted from it by any persecutions though that were a time wherein they were tryed with the sharpest sufferings which may teach us that it is not the danger that attends this duty can acquit us of it 5. Secondly we are to bear with the infirmities of our Christian brethren according to the advice of St. Paul Rom. 15. 1. We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak If one that holds all necessary Christian truth happen yet to be in some error we are not for this either to forsake his communion or despise his person This St. Paul teaches us in the case of that weak brother who by error made a causlesse scruple about meats Rom. 14. where he bids the stronger Christians that is those who being better instructed discerned him to be in an error yet to receive him neverthelesse and not to despise him as on the other side he bids that weak one not to judge the stronger the lesser differences in opinion must be born with on both sides and must not in the least abate our brotherly charity towards each other 6. Thirdly we are to endeavour the restoring of any fallen brother that is to bring him to repentance after he hath fallen into any sin Thus St. Paul commands the Galatians that they should retore him that was overtaken in a fault considering themselves least they also were tempted We are not to look on him as a cast-away to give him over as utterly desperate neither are we to triumph over him in respect of our own innocence like the proud Pharisee over the poor Publican Luke 18. 11. but we are meekly to endevour his recovery remembring that our own frailty is such that we are not secure from the like falls 7. Fourthly We are to have a Sympathy and fellow feeling-with these brethren to be neerly toucht with whatsoever befals them either as they are considered in society or in single persons In society first and so they make up a Church that either the universal which is made up of all Beleevers throughout the world or any particular Church which is made up of all the Beleevers in that particular Nation and whatever happens to either of these either the whole Church in general or any such single part of it especially that whereof our selves are members we are to be much affected and moved with to rejoice in all the prosperities and to mourn and bewail all the breaches and desolations thereof and daily and earnestly to pray with David Psal. 51. 18. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the wals of Ierusalem and that especially when we see her in dâ—stress and persecution Whosoever is not thus toucht with the condition of the Church is not to be lookt on as a living member of it for as in the natural body every member is concerned in the prosperity of the whole so certainly 't is here it was the observation of the Psalmist that Gods Servants think upon the stones of Sin and pity to see her in the dust Psal. 102. 14. and surely all his servants are still of the same temper cannot look on the ruins and desolations of the Church without the greatest sorrow and lamentation Secondly we are to have this fellow-feeling with our brethren considered as single persons We are to account our selves concerned in very particular Christian so as to partake with him in all his occasions either of joy or sorrow Thus the Apostle exhorts Rom. 12. 14. Rejoice with them that rejoice weep with them that weep and again 1 Cor. 12. under the similitude of the natural body he urges this duty Whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoice with it All these several effects of love we owe to these spiritual brethren And this love is that which Christ has made the badge of his disciples Jo. 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another so that if we mean not to cast off discipleship to Christ we must not forsake this love of the brethren 8. The third relation is that between Husband and Wife This is yet much neerer then either of the former as appears by that Text Eph. 5. 31. A man shall leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they two shall be one flesh Several duties there are oweing from one of these persons to the other and first for the wife she owes obedience This is commanded by the Apostle Col. 3. 18. Wives submit your selves to your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. They are to render obedience to their Husbands in the Lord that is in all lawful commands for otherwise 't is here as in the case of all other superiors God must be obeyed rather then man and the wife must not upon her husbands command do any thing which is forbidden by God But in all things which doth not cross some command of Gods this precept is of force and will serve to condemn the peevish stubborness of many wives who resist the lawful commands of their husbands onely because they are impatient of this duty of subjection which God himself requires of them But it may here be asked what if the husband command something which though it be not unlawful is yet very inconvenient and imprudent must the wife submit to such a command To this I answer that it will be no disobedience in her but duty calmly and mildly to shew him the inconveniences thereof and to perswade him to retract that command but in case she cannot win him to it by fair intreaties she must neither try sharp language nor yet finally refuse to obey nothing but the unlawfulness of the command being sufficient warrant for that 9 Secondly The wife owes Fidelity to the husband and that of two sorts first that of the bed she must keep her self pure and chast from all strange embraces and therefore must not so much as give an ear to any that wou'd allure her but with the greatest abhorrence eject all motions of that sort never give any man that has once made
or fault of a servant towards themselves and yet can without trouble see them run into the greatest sins against God 't is a sign they consider their own concernments too much and Gods glory and their servants souls too little This is too commonly the temper of Masters they are generally careless how their servants behave themselves towards God how disorder'd and profane their families are and therefore never bestow any exhortation or admonition to perswade them to vertue or draw them from vice such Masters forget that they must one day give an account how they have governed their families It is certainly the duty of every Ruler to endeavour to advance piety and godliness among all those that are under his charge and that as well in this lesser dominion of a family as in the greater of a Realm or Nation Of this David was so careful that we see he professes Psal. 101. 7. That no deceitful person should dwell in his house that he that told lies should not tarry in his sight so much he thought himself bound to provide that his family might be a kind of Church an assembly of Godly upright persons And if all Masters would endeavour to have theirs so they would besides the eternal reward of it hereafter find a present benefit by it there worldly business would thrive much the better for if their servants were brought to make conscience of their wayes they would then not dare either to be negligent or false 31. But as it is the duty of Masters to admonish and reprove their servants so they must also look to do it in a due manner that is so as may be most likely to do good not in passion and rage which can never work the servant to any thing but the despising or hating him but with such sober and grave speeches as may convince him of his fault and may also assure him that it is a kind desire of his amendment and not a willingness to wreck his own rage which makes the Master thus to rebuke him 32. A third duty of the Master is to set good example of honesty and godliness to his servants without which 't is not all the exhortations or reproofs he can use will ever do good for else he puls down more with his example then t is possible for him to build with the other and 't is madness for a drunken or profane Master to expect a sober and godly family 33. Fourthly the Master is to provide that his servants may not want means of being instructed in their duty as also that they may daily have constant times of worshipping God publickly by having prayers in the family but of this I have spoken before under the head of Prayer and therefore shall here say no more of it 34. Fifthly The master in all affairs of his own is to give reasonable and moderate commands not saying greater burdens on his servants then they are able to bear particularly not requiring so much work that they shall have no time to bestow on their souls as on the other side he is not to permit them to live so idely as may make them either uselesse to him or may betray themselves to any ill 35. Sixthly The Master is to give his servants encouragement in well doing by using them with that bounty and kindness which their faithfulness aud diligence and piety deserves And finally in all his dealing with them he is to remember that himself hath as the Apostle saith Eph. 6. 9. A Master in heaven to whom he must give account of the usage of his meanest servant on earth Thus have I briefly run through those several relations to which we owe a particular duty and so have done with that first branch of duty to our neighbours that of Justice PARTITION XVI Other Branches of our DUTY to our Neighbour Of CHARITY to mens Sâ—uls Bodies Gooâ—s c. THE second branch of Duty to our Neighbours is Charity or Love This is the great Gospel-duty so often injoined us by Christ the New Commandment as himself calls it Jo. 13 34. That ye love one another this is again repeated twice in one Chapter John 15 12. 17. and the first Epistle of St. John is almost wholly spent in the perswasion to this one duty by which we may see 't is no matter of indifference but most strictly required of all that profess Christ. Indeed himself has given it as the badge and livery of his Disciples John 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another This Charity may be considered two waies first in respect of the affections secondly of the actions Charity in the affections is a sincere kindness which disposes us to wish all good to others and that in all their capacities in the same manner that justice obliged us to wish no hurt to any man in respect either of his Soul his Body his Goods or his Credit so this first part of Charity binds us to wish all good to them in all these And first for the Soul If we have any the least spark of Charity we cannot but wish all good to mens Souls Those precious things which Christ thought worth the ransoming with his own blood may surely well challenge our kindness and good wishes and therefore if we do not thus love one another we are far from obeying that Command of loving as he hath loved for 't was the Souls of men which he loved so tenderly and both did and suffered so much for Of this love of his to Souls there are two great and special effects the first the purifying them here by his grace the second the making them everlastingly happy in his glory and both these we are so far to copy out in our kindness as to be earnestly desirous that all men should arrive to that purity and holiness here which may make them capable of eternal happiness hereafter It were to be hoped that none that himself carried a Soul about him could be so cruel to that of another mans as not sincerely to wish this did not experience shew us there are some persons whose malice is so divelish as to reach even to the direâ—â— contrary the wishing not onely the sin but the damnation of others Thus may you have some who in any injury or oppression they suffer make it their onely comfort that their enemies will damn themselves by it when alas that should to a Christian be much more terrible then any suffering they could bring upon him He that is of this temper is a disciple of Satans not of Christ it being directly contrary to the whole scope of that grand Christian precept of loving our neighbours as our selves For 't is sure no man that beleeves there is such a thing as damnation wishes it to himself Be he never so fond of the wayes that lead to it yet he wishes that may
the Kings gate On the other side the peaceable spirâ—t that can quietly passe by all injuries and affronts enjoyes a continual calm and is above the malice of his enemies for let them do what they can they cannot rob him of his quiet he is firm as a rock which no stormes or windes can move when the furious and revengeful man is like a wave which the least blast tosses and tumbles from its place But besides this inward disquiet of revengeful men they often bring many outward calamities upon themselves they exasperate their enemies and provoke them to do them greater miâ—chiefs nay oftentimes they willingly run themselvs upon the greatest miseries in pursuit of their revenge to which 't is ordinary to see men sacrifice Goods Ease Credit Life nay soul it self not caring what they suffer themselves so they may spite their enemy so strangly does this wretched humour besott and blind men On the contrary the meek person he often melts his adversary pacifies his anger A soft answer turns away wrath saith Solomon Pro. 15. 1. And sure there is nothing can tend more to that end but if it do happen that his enemy be so inhumane that he misse of doing that yet he is still a gainer by all he can suffer For first he gains an opportunity of exercising that most Christian grace of charity and forgivenesse and so at once of obeying the command and imitating the example of his Saviour which is to a true Christian spirit a most valuable advantage and then secondly he gains an accession and encrease to his reward hereafter And if it be objected that that is not to be reckoned in to the present pleasure of the duty I answer that the expectation and belief of it is and that alone is a delight infinitely more ravishing then the present enjoyment of all sensual pleasures can be The fourth consideration is the danger of not performing this duty of which I might reckon up divers but I shall insist only on that great one which contains in it all the rest and that is the forfeiting of our own pardons from God the having our sins against him kept still on his score and not forgiven This is a consideration that methinks should afright us into good nature if it do not our malice is greater to our selves then to our enemies For alas what hurt is it possible for thee to do to another which can bear any comparison with that thou doest thy self in loosing the pardon of thy sins which is so unspeakable a mischief that the Divel himself with all his malice cannot wish a greater 't is all he aimes at first that we may sin and then that those sins may never be pardoned for then he knows he has us sure enough Hell and damnation being certainly the portion of every unpardoned sinner besides all other effects of Gods wrath in this life consider this and then tell me what thou hast got by the highest revenge thou ever actedst upon another 'T is a devilish phrase in the mouth of men that revenge is sweet But is it possible there can be even to the most distemper'd palate any such sweetnesse in it as may recompence that everlasting bitternesse that attends it 'T is certain no man in his wits can upon sober judging imagine there is But alas we give not our selves time to weigh things but suffer our selves to be hurryed away with the heat of an angry humour never considering how dear we must pay for it like the silly Bee that in anger leaves at once her sting and her life behind her the sting may perhaps give some short pain to the flesh it sticks in but yet there is none but discerns the Bee has the worst of it that payes her life for so poor a revenge so it is in the greatest acts of our malice we may perhaps leave our stings in others put them to some present trouble but that compared with the hurt redounds to our selves by it is no more then that inconsiderable pain is to death Nay not so much because the mischiefs that we bring upon our selves are eternal to which no finite thing can bear any proportion Remember then whensoever thou art contriving and plotting a revenge that thou quite mistakest the mark thou thinkest to hit thy enemy and las thou woundest thy self to death And let no man speak peace to himself or think that these are vain terrors and that he may obtain pardon from God though he give none to his brethren For he that is truth it self has assured us the contrary Mat. 6. 15. If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses And least we should forget the necessity of this duty he has inserted it into our daily Prayers where we make it the condition on which we beg pardon from God Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us What a heavy curse then does every revengeful person lay upon himself when he sayes this Prayer he does in effect beg God not to forgive him and 't is too sure that part of his Prayer will be heard he shall be forgiven just as he forgives that is not at all This is yet farther set out to us in the parable of the Lord and the servant Mat. 18. the servant had obtained of his Lord the forgivenesse of a vast debt ten thousand talents yet was so cruel to his fellow servant as to exact a poor triflng summ of an hundred pence upon which his Lord recals his former forgiveness and charges him again with the whole debt and this Christ applies to our present purpose ver 35. So likewise shall my heavenly father do unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every man his brother their trespasses One such act of uncharitablenesse is able to forfeit us the pardon God hath granted us and then all our sins return again upon us and sink us to utter ruine I suppose it needlesse to heap up more Testimonies of Scripture for the truth of this these are so cleere as may surely serve to perswade any man that acknowledg Scripture of the great and fearful danger of this sin of uncharitableness The Lord possess all our hearts with such a just sense of it as may make us avoid it The Last consideration I shall mention is that of gratitude God has shewed wonderful mercies to us Christ has suffered heavy things to bring us into a capacity of that mercy and pardon from God And shall we not then think our selvs obliged to some returns of thanfulness If we will take the Apostles judgment he tels us 2 Cor. 5. 15. That since Christ dyed for us all 't is but reasonable that we should not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him that dyed for us Indeed were every moment of our life consecrated to his immediate service 't were no more then common gratitude requires and far less then such inestimable
Neighbours wife Actually defiling her Spoiling the goods of others upon spight and malâ—ce Coveting to gain them to our selves Oppressing by violence and force or colour of Law Not paying what we borrow Not paying what we have voluntarily promised Keeping back the wages of the servant and hireling Unfaithfulness in trusts whether to the living or dead Using Arts of deceit in buying and selling Exacting upon the necessities of our Neighbours Blasting the credit of our Neighbour By False Witness By Railng By whispering Incouraging others in their slanders Being forward to beleeve ill reports of our Neighbour Causeless suspicions Rash judging of him Despising him for his infirmities Inviting others to do so by scoffing and deriding him Bearing any malice in the heart Secret wishing of death or any kind of hurt to our Neighbour Rejoicing when any evil befalls him Neglecting to make what satisfaction we can for any sort of injury done to our Neighbour Lying Churlish and proud behaviour to others Froward and peevish conversation Bitter and reproachful language Cursing Not paying the respect due to the qualities or gifts of others Proudly overlooking them Seeking to lessen others esteem of them Not imploying our abilities whether of mind or estate in administring to those whose wants require it Unthankfulness to our Benefactours Especially those that admonish us Not amending upon their reproof Being angry at them for it Not reverencing our Civil Parent the lawful Magistrate Judging and speaking evil of him Grudging his just tributes Sowing sedition among the people Refusing to obey his lawful commands Rising up against him or taking part with them that do Despising our Spiritual Fathers Not loving them for their works sake Not obeying those Commands of God they deliver to us Seeking to withold from them their just maintenance Forsaking our lawful Pastors to follow factious teachers Stubborn and irreverent behaviour to our natural Parents Despising and publishing their infirmities Not loving them nor endeavouring to bring them joy and comfort Contemning their counsels Murmuring at their Government Coveting their estates though by their death Not ministring to them in their wants of all sorts Neglecting to pray for Gods blessing on these several sorts of Parents Want of natural affection to children Mothers refusing to nurse them without a just impediment Not bringing them timely to Baptism Not early instructing them in the wayes of God Suffering them for want of timely correction to get customes of sin Setting them evil examples Discouraging them by harsh cruel usage Not providing for their subsistence according to our ability Consuming their portions in our own riot Reserving all till our death and letting them want in the mean time Not seeking to entail a blessing on them by our Christian lives Nor heartily praying for them Want of affection to our natural brethren Envyings heart-burnings towards them Not loving our spiritual brethren i. e. our fellow Christians Having no fellow-feeling of their sufferings Causelesly forsaking their commnnion in Holy Duties Not taking deeply to heart the desolations of the Church Marrying within the degrees forbidden Marrying for undue ends as covetousness lust c. Unkind froward and unquiet behaviour towards the husband or wife Unfaithfulness to the bed Not bearing with the infirmities of each other Not endeavouring to advance one anothers good spiritual or temporal The wife resisting the lawful command of her husband Her striving for rule and dominion over him Not praying for each other Unfaithfulness to a friend Betraying his secrets Denying him assistance in his needs Neglecting lovingly to admonish him Flattering him in his faults Forsaking his friendship upon flight or no cause Making leagues in sin in stead of vertuous friendships Servants disobeying the lawful commands of their Masters Purloining their goods Carelesly wasting them Murmuring at their rebukes Idleness Eye service Masters using servants tyrannically and cruelly Being too remiss and suffering them to neglect their duty Having no care of their Souls Not providing them means of instruction in Religion Not admonishing them when they commit sins Not allowing them time and opportunity for prayer and the worship of God Want of bowels and Charity to our Neighbours Not heartily desiring their good spiritual or temporal Not loving and forgiving enemies Taking actual revenges upon them Falsenâ—ss professing kindness and acting none Not labouring to do all good we can to the Soul of our Neighbour Not assisting him to our power in his bodily distresses Not defending his good name when we know or beleeve him slandered Denying him any neighbourly office to preserve or advance his estate Not defending him from oppression when we have power Not relieving him in his poverty Not giving liberally or cheerfully Not loving peace Going to Law upon slight occasions Bearing inward enmity to those we sue Not labouring to make peace among others The use of this Catalogue of sins is this Upon dayes of Humiliation especially before the Sacrament read them consideringly over and at every particular ask thine own heart Am I guilty of this And whatsoever by such examination thou findest thy self faulty in confess particularly and humbly to God with all the heightning circumstances which may any way increase their guilt and make serious resolutions against every such sin for the future After which thou mayest use this fâ—rm fâ—llâ—wing O LORD I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespass is growen up even unto Heaven I have wrought all these great provocations and that in the most provoking manner they have not been onely single but repeated acts of sin for O Lord of all this black Catalogue which I have now brought forth before thee how few are there which I have not often committed nay which are not become even habitual and customary to me And to this frequency I have added both a greediness and obstinacy in sinning turning into my course as the horse rusheth into the battel doing evil with both hands earnestly yea hating to be reformed and casting thy words behind me quenching thy Spirit within me which testified against me to turn me from my evil wayes and frustrating all those outward means whether of judgment or mercy which thou hast used to draw me to thy self Nay O Lord even my repentances may be numbred amongst my greatest sins they have sometimes been feigned and hypocritical alwayes so slight and ineffectual that they have brought forth no fruit in amendment of life but I have still returned with the dog to his vomit and the sow to the mire again and have added the breach of resolutions and vowes to all my former guilts Thus O Lord. I am become out of measure sinful and since I have thus chosen death I am most worthy to take part in it even in the second death the lake of fire and brimstone This this O Lord is in justice to be the portion of my cup to me belongs nothing but shame and
a few stripes at present will adventure him to those sad mischiefs which commonly befall the child that is left to himself But then this correction must be given in such a manner as may be likely to do good to which purpose it must first be given timely the child must not be suffered to run on in any ill till it have got a habit and a stubborness too This is a great error in many parents they will let their children alone for divers years to do what they list permit them to lye to steal without ever so much as rebuking them nay perhaps please themselves to see the witty shifts of the child and think it matters not what they do while they are little But alas all that while the vice gets root and that many times so deep a one that all they can do afterwards whether by words or blowes can never pluck it up Secondly correction must be moderate not exceeding the quality of the fault nor the tenderness of the child Thirdly it must not be given in rage if it be it wâ—ll not only be in danger of being immoderate but it will lose its effect upon the child who will think he is corrected not because he has done a fault but because his parent is angry and so will rather blame the parent then himself whereas on the contrary care should be taken to make the child as sensible of the fault as of the smart without which he will never be throughly amended 21. Thirdly after children are grown up are past the age of education there are yet other offices for the parent to perform to them the parent is still to watch over them in respect of their souls to observe how they practice those precepts which were given them in their education and accordingly to exhort incourage or reprove as they find occasion 22. So also for their outward estate they are to put them into some course of living in the world if God have blest the parents with wealth according to what he hath he must distribute to his children remembring that since he was the instrument of bringing them into the world he is according to his ability to provide for their comfortably living in it they are therefore to be look't on very unnatural parents who so they may have enough to spend in their own riots and excess care not what becomes of their children never think of providing for them Another fault is usual among parents in this business they defer all the provisions for them till themselves be dead heap up perhaps great matters for them against that time but in the mean time afford them not such a competency as may enable them to live in the world There are several mischiefs come from this first it lessens the childs action to his parent nay sometimes it proceeds so far as to make him wish his death which though it be such a fault as no temptâ—tion can excuse in a child yet ' tâ—s also a great fault in a parent to gâ—ve that temptation Sâ—condly it puts the child upon shifts and tricks many times dishonest ones to supply his necessities this is I doubt not a common effect of it the hardness of parents has often put men upon very unlawful courses which when they are once acquainted with perhaps they never leave though the fiâ—st occasion cease and therefore parents ought to beware how they run them upon those hazards Besides the parent loses that contentment which he might have in seeing his children live prosperously and comfortably which none but an arrant earth-worm would exchange for the vain imaginary pleasure of having money in his chest But in this business of providing for children there is yet another thing to be heeded and that is that the parent get that wealth honestly which he makes their portion else 't is very far from being a provision there is such a curse goes along with an ill-gotten estate that he that leaves such a one to his child do but cheat and deceive him makes him believe he has left him wealth but has withall put such a canker in the bowels of it that is sure to eat it out This is so common an observation that I need say nothing to confirm the truthâ— of it would God it were as generally laid to heart as it seems to be generally taken notice of Then surely parents would not account it a reasonable motive to unjust dealing that they may thereby provide for their children for this is not a way of providing for them nâ—y 't is the way to spoil them of whatever they have lawfully gathered for them the least mite of unlawful gain being of the nature of leaven which sowres the whole lump bringing down curses upon all a man possesseth Let all parents therefore satisfie themselves with such provisions for their children as God shall enable them honestly to make assuring themselves how little soever it be 't is a better portion then the greatest wealth unjustly gotten according to that of Solomom Pro. 16. 8. Better is a little with righteousness then great revenues without right 23. A fourth thing the parent owes to the child is good example he is not only to set him rules of vertue and godliness but he must himself give him a pattern in his own practice we see the force of example is infinitely beyond that of precept especiaâ—ly where the person is one to whom we bear a reverence or with whom we have a continual conversation both which usually meet in a Parent It is therefore a most necessary care in all Parents to behave themselves so before their children that their example may be a means of winning them to vertue But alas this age affords little of this care nay so far 't is from it that there are none more frequently the instruments of corrupting children then their own Parents And indeed how can it be otherwise while men give themselves liberty to all wickedness 't is not to be hoped but that the children which observe it will imitate it the child that sees his father drunk will sure think he may be so too as well as his father So he that bears him swear will do the like and so for all other vices and if any Parent that is thus wicked himself should happen to have so much more care of his childs Soul then his own as to forbid him the things which himself practices or correct him for the doing them 't is certain the child will account this a great injustice in his father to punish him for that which himself freely does and so he is never likely to be wrought upon by it This consideration layes a most strict tye upon all Parents to live Christianly for otherwise they do not onely hazard their own Souls but those of their children also and as it were purchase an estate of inheritance in Hell 24. A fifth duty of Parents is blessing their children
the way of doing that is double first by their prayer they are by daily and earnest prayers to commend them to Gods protection and blessing both for their spiritual and temporal estate and secondly by their piety they are to be such persons themselves as that a blessing may descend from them upon their posterity This is often promised in Scipture to godly men that their seed shall be blessed Thus in the second commandment God promises to shew mercy to the thousand generation of them that love him and keep his commandments And it is very observable in the Jews that though they were a stiffe necked generation and had very grievously provoked God yet the godliness of their forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob did many times move God to save them from destruction on the other side we see that even good men have fared the worse for the iniquities of their fathers Thus when Josiah had destroyed idolatry restored Gods service and done good beyond all the Kings that were before him yet there was an old arreare of Manasseh his grandfather which all this piety of his would not blot out but he resolves to cast Judah also out of his sight as you may read at large 2 Kings 23. If therefore parents have any bowels any kindness towards their children any real desire of their prosperity let them take care by their own godly life to entaile a blessing upon them 25 Sixthly parents must take heed that they use their power over their children with equity and moderation not to oppress them with unreasonable commands only to exercise their own authorâ—ty but in all things of weight to consider the real good of their children and to presse them to nothing which may not consist with that This is a rule whereof parents may often have use but in none greater then in the business of marrying their children wherein many that otherwise are good parents have been to blame when out of an eagerness of bestowing them wealthily they force them to marry utterly against their own inclinations which is a great tyranny and that which frequently betrayes them to a multitude of mischiefs such as all the wealth in the world cannot repaire There are two things which parents ought especially to consider in the matching of their children the first how they may live Christianly and to that purpose to chuse a vertuous and pious person to link them with the second is how they may live cheerfully and comfortably in this world and to that end though a competency of estate may be necessary to be regarded yet surely abundance is no way requisite and therefore that should not be too vehemently sought after that which much more tends to the happiness of that state is the mutual kindness and liking of the parties without which marriage is of all other the most uncomfortable condition and therefore no parent ought to thrust a child into it I have now done with the first sort of relation that of a parent PARTITION XV. Of DUTY to our BRETHREN and Relations Husband Wife Friends Masters Servants § 1 THE second sort of relation is that of a brother now brotherhood may be two fold either natural or spiritual the natural may in the largest extent contain under it all mankind all that partake of the same nature but I shall not consider it so in this place having already mentioned those gegeneral duties which belong to all as such I now speak of that natural brother-hood that is between those that are the children of the same immediate parent and the duty of these is to have united hearts and affections This nature points out to them they partaking in a more especial manner of each others substance and therefore ought to have the greatest tenderness and kindness each to other thus we see Abraham make it an argument why there should be no contention between him and Let because they were brethren Gen. 13. 8. And though by brethren there is meant only cousins yet that helps the more strongly to conclude that this neerer relation is in reason to be a greater barr to strife as also that this kindness is in some degree to be extended to all that have any neerness of blood to us 2. This kindness and love between brethren and sisters ought to be very firmly grounded in their hearts if it be not they will be of all others in most danger of disagreeing for the continual conversation that is among them whilst they are at home in the fathers house will be apt to minister some occasion of jar Besides the equality that is among them in respect of birth often makes them inclinable to envy each other when one is in any respect advanced above the other Thus we see Josephs brethren envyed him because he had most of his fathers love and Rachel envyed her sister Leah because she was fruitful therefore for the preventing of such temptations let all who have brethren and sisters possesse their mind with a great and real kindness to them look on them as parts of themselves and then they wil never think fit either to quarrel with them or to envy them any advantage any more then one part of the body does another of the same body but will strive to advance and help forward the good of each other 3. The second kind of brotherhood is spiritual that contains all those who profess the same faith with us the Church in our baptism becomes a mother to each baptized person and then surely they that have the relation of children to her must have also the relation of brethren to each other and to this sort of brethren also we owe a great deal of tenderness and affection the spiritual bond of Religion should of all others the most closely unite our hearts This is the brotherhood which St. Peter exhorts us to love 1 Pet. 2. 17. And to it we are in an especial manner bound to do all good offices Do good saith the Apostle to all but especially to them that are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10. Our compassions are to be most melting towards them of all others in all their needs Christ tels us that whosoever gives but a cup of cold water to any in the name of a disciple shall not lose his reward Mat. 10. 42. From whence we may assure our selves that this peculiar love to Christians as Christians is very acceptable in his sight 4. Several duties there are required of us to these brethren one principal is the holding communion with them and that first in doctrine we are constantly to continue in the belief and profession of all those necessary truths by which we may be markt out as followers and disciples of Christ this is that faith which St. Jude speaks of which was once delivered to the Saints Iude 3. by keeping whereof we continue still united to this spiritual brotherhood in respect of profession