Bodies but above all for the sending his Son to redeem us and the Holy Ghost to comfort us and for all other his Favours vouchsaf'd to us in his Word and Sacraments These are the several sorts of Prayer to be used both Publick and Private Publick Prayer in the Church and in the Family The Publick use of them is first in the Church from whence we must not absent our selves without some necessary Cause and Secondly In our own Families where every Master is strictly bound to call his Children and Servants to thâ— daily exercise of them Private Prayer is call'd so because we Private Prayer use it in Secret where we have an oppotunity to be more particular than 〈◊〉 convenient in Publick and upon nâ—â— account or pretence whatsoever 〈◊〉 to be omitted Prayer is a Duty that requireâ— a frequent performance by none seldomer then Evening and Morning we Frequent Prayer very advantageous should always begin and end the Day with our Addresses to Almighty God oftner if we have any conveniency and indeed did we consider the advantages of Prayer we should think it great Wisdom to use it as frequently as possible For First 'T is a It s Honour Benefit and Pleasantness great Honour that such mean and contemptible Wretches as we are should be admitted but to speak to the great God of Heaven and Earth and then 't is a Benefit the highest that can be Imagin'd Prayer being that immediate â—ource of all the Advantages we either want or wish besides 't is a â—leasant Duty in it self and to a â—ruly Pious and Devout Mind it â—ffords abundance of substantial Deâ—ight and Satisfaction The Carnal Minds indeed can â—iscover none of these Advantages the Pleasures of the the Flesh and the Carnality and want of use the Causes that makes it seem otherways dross of the World liâ— in the way and those have so vitiated their Pallates that they caâ— taste none of the pleasantness in it other think it unpleasant for want of a frequent usage and beside these two there is nothing caâ— dissuade us from the real Pleasure and Advantage of it The next thing is how well wâ— perform this Duty and herein wâ— are chiefly concern'd for the Matters of our Prayer we are to ask nothing To ask nothing unlawful but with Faith Humility and Attention unjust or unlawfuâ— but all with Faith anâ— Humility and witâ— the most profouâ— and deliberate Atteâ—tion Opposite to Attention in Prayeâ— is all wandring thoughts the Coâ—sequence of which are very dangâ—rous To suppress these we should consider the greatness of that Majesty to Help against Wandering the Consideration of Gods Majesty and our own needs whom we are speaking the worth of those things we ask for and our own extraordinary Wants together We must likewise â—nvoke God's Assiâ—tance To pray for God's aid with Watchfulness Zeal Purity and for proper ends and set a careâ—ul Watch over our Hearts to keep all â—andring thoughts â—ut of our Minds â—hilst we are convering with Him all â—ur Petitions should be put up to â—im with the highest Zeal and Arâ—ency of Soul Our Prayers should â—e abstracted from all manner of in and Impurity and be constantâ—â— directed to right and proper ends This is the first part of Worship â—he next is Bodily Worship and this conâ—st Bodily Worship in humble and reâ—erend Gestures in making our approaches to God iâ— such a decent lowliness of Body thaâ— may best declare with what a Proâ—stration of Soul we make our Addreâ—ses before the Throne of Grace Repentance is thâ— next Duty we owe 〈◊〉 Repentance a turning from Sin to God this Duty to be done daily God and is in shoâ—â— nothing else but a general Resolution tâ—â— forsake our Sins anâ— to implore his Grace the times for thâ—â— great Duty are as often as we thinâ— upon our Sins every Day at leaâ—â— we ought to call our selves to aâ—â— account At some particulaâ— times indeed we aâ—â— At set times at the time of Affliction at Death oblig'd to redoubâ— our Repentance aâ—â— those Times we ougâ—â— to fix for our selveâ— at least once a Week We ought 〈◊〉 have a set time of Evening our Accounts with God and our Consâ—ences the time of Affliction anâ— Calamity is a very proper seasoâ— â—or it and at our Death we are the â—ost solemnly oblig'd to renew it But 't is dangerous 〈◊〉 defer it till Death The danger and disadvantage of Death-bed Repentance 〈◊〉 should not hazard 〈◊〉 Souls upon such â—â—certainties beside 〈◊〉 Death-bed Repentance must conseâ—uently want several Qualifications â—hich the Nature of true Repenâ—â—nce requires the â—ustom of Sin is not The Custom of Sin hard to be vanquish't Pain the Cause of Insincerity 〈◊〉 be destroy'd in a 〈◊〉 days or hours â—â—â—haps moments â—â—sides too our Pains â—â—d Agonies most â—â—obably disturb our â—houghts and then our Repenâ—â—nce can never be dress'd up with â—â—at strict Sincerity which God reâ—â—ires of us for the Salvation of 〈◊〉 Souls To Repentance the Duty of Fastâ—â—g may with great Reason be anâ—ex'd which is a Duty we find soâ—â—mnly recommended by God himself the Church and the Practice of gooâ— Fasting a revenge upon our selves acceptable to God yet no satisfaction for Sin Men by Fasting wâ— in some measure râ—venge the Injuriâ— done to God upâ—â— our selves and suâ—â— Holy Revenge upoâ— our selves for oâ—â— Sins is doubtless very acceptable tâ— God and yet we ought not 〈◊〉 think them sufficient without thâ— Merits of Christ's Blood to attonâ— for our Offences The Scripture hâ— indeed given no paâ—ticular Times of Fasting Direction hoâ— often this great Duâ—â— of Fasting is to be perform'd bâ—â— the oftner the better for being great Instrument of our Humiliaâ—â—on we ought to take all opportuâ—â—ties to perform it which our Healâ—â— and Circumstances will admit And thus I have pass'd throuâ—â— the the first Branch of our Duty 〈◊〉 God to wit the acknowledg iâ— him to be our God the second the having no other and of this I need say no more then that by it we are forbid all kind of Idolatry and Superstitious Worshipping of â—mages of Creatures and all inâ—ard Idolatry of the Mind PARTITION VI. Of Sobriety of Humility the great Sin of Pride of vain Glory the Danger Folly the means to prevent it of Meekness c. Duty to our Selves THis Duty to our Duty to our Selves Selves is by St. â—aul summ'd up in 〈◊〉 word SOBERLY by which 〈◊〉 meaning must be our keeping â—ithin those bounds which God has 〈◊〉 us both with respect to our â—ouls and Bodies and this sober â—overnment of the Soul requires a great many Vertues of which I place Humility Humility in the first Rank Humility gives us low and humble thoughts of our selves direct us to behave our selves easily undâ—â— the mean Opinion of others anâ— withal is directly opposite to 〈◊〉 kind of Pride and vain Glory
THE Whole Duty OF MAN Epitomiz'd FOR THE Benefit of the POOR With Select Prayers suited to every Partition â—y Edm. Stacy a Minister of the Church of England â—ear God and keep his Commandments for this is the Whole Duty of Man Eccles 12. 13. LONDON â—â—inted for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey 1700. To the Right Honourable Sir Richard Levit Lord Mayor Elect And the Honourable Charles Duncomb and Jeffery Jefferies Esquires Sheriffs of the City of London c. IF there be any thing that can excuse my Presumption in putting Three such great Names to this little Book it must be the Sincerity of my Intention for the Interest of Religion For the Doctrines it contains I need say no more than that they are faithfully Collected from that incomparable Author the Whole Duty of Man a Book to speak in Dr. Hammond's Words that has all the Advantages which with Gods Blessing can render it fit for the Salvation of Mankind My Design in drawing it into this little Volume I have already mentioned in the Title viz. For the Benefit of the Poor and who so fit to recommend it to them as those very Persons to whom the Government of this great City is entrusted your Names your Characters and your Authority together must needs stamp a Repute upon it and render it acceptable even to this sin ful Age. I am sensible there 's neither of you can be any Friend to the common Vanity of Complement and therefore to bespeak your Acceptance of these few Sheets I shall Address my Self to your gracious God that under the shadow of your Protection he would bless this Epitomy to the Conversion of many Souls Alas we live in a World wherein Vertue has almost lost her Prerogative Religion has few true Friends and will have fewer still â—ill Men can be persuaded to consiâ—er the Necessity and Advantage of â—t and how far this little Book â—ay contribute towards that End is â—tterly out of my Power to deterâ—ine I know I have put it into good â—ands and so I humbly leave it â—ith you with this Assurance that â—hatever you do in the behalf of â—iety and Charity will be doubly â—ac'd to your Account in the Reâ—ords of Eternity and entitle you 〈◊〉 Rewards as large as your Merits â—d as lasting as your Souls And now there remains no more â—t to beseech you to accept this â—â—tle Book and Pardon the unworâ—y Author who amongst many oâ—ers that Congratulate your Acâ—ssion to your respective Stations 〈◊〉 one of the first that has thus venâ—r'd to do it in Publick Your high Qualifications have â—awn after you many Hearts and â—any ardent Wishes and Mine in a more Particular manner than thâ— rest who am with the utmost D 〈…〉 stance and Regard may it plea 〈…〉 your Honours Your most obedient Servant E. Stacâ— THE PREFACE OVR Inimitable Author has propos'd the Care of our Souls as the grand Proparatory to the Whole Duty of Man and indeed I cannot better recommend the Epitomy of his Book then by telling you in his Words that the carelesness of our Souls is the Root of all the Sin we commit so that unless we would be perswaded to consider the Condition of our Souls all Lectures of Religion must be utterly lost upon us The Design of this little Book will admit of but a very short Preface and therefore I shall only tell the Reader that his Soul being infinitely the most â—valuable of any thing that he has beside has the greatest Title to his Care both in Point of Reason and Justice This is what we find confirm'd in the Accounts of all Wise Men who still value every thing more or less as it imports to their Interest or Happiness Our Souls therefore being our chiefesâ— Good it concerns us very nearly tâ— consult their Preservation and how that 's to be done is the Design of the following Sheets I hope it will not be expected 〈◊〉 should say any thing in Apology for this undertaking If the thing be done aâ— it ought to be it must needs be of general good the Reader indeed woulâ— do well to observe that though my Brevity c. has generally compell'd mâ— to use my own Words yet the Meaning and Method of the Author are all along carefully preserv'd For the Whole Duty of Man it self 't is indeed a most compleat System oâ— Religion and therefore highly fit to bâ— often read over at large by all whosâ— Time and Circumstances will allow it This Epitomy is only design'd tâ— supply those Deficiencies and for thâ— Assistance of bad Memories in brief 't is intended chiefly for the Benefit of the Poor and to them I refer it c. THE Whole Duty OF MAN Epitomiz'd c. PARTITION I. the Duty of Man by the Light of Nature and Scripture His Duty to God Himself and his Neighbour His Duty to God of Faith the Promises of Hope of Love of Fear of Trust THE Incarnation of our Blessed Lord is without doubt a sufficient warrant for the Salva 〈…〉 n of our Souls if we perform the Conditions annext to it which 〈◊〉 in general to use our honest endea 〈…〉 vours to obey the whole Will 〈◊〉 God according as we have it co 〈…〉 vey'd to us by the Light of Nature and the Light of the Holâ— Scriptures The Light of Nature in the first pla 〈…〉 Of the Light of Nature is a Light which Goâ— has stampt upon o 〈…〉 very Souls by the guidance 〈◊〉 which without the help of Scri 〈…〉 ture mere Natural Conscience wou 〈…〉 direct us in the performance 〈◊〉 several Duties Such as are 〈◊〉 Worship a God to be Just one 〈◊〉 another and to Honour our P 〈…〉 rents and the like The Light of Scri 〈…〉 tures is a far mo 〈…〉 Of the Light of Scripture Divine Light wheâ— in God hath laid b 〈…〉 fore us both his Commands aâ— Precepts to be the general Rulâ— and Grounds of our Duty The general Rules of the Du 〈…〉 of every Christian are brie 〈…〉 comprehended under these three Heads The three great Branches of Mans Duty our Duty to God our Selves and our Neighbours and those three I intend for the Subject of the following Discourse The Foundation of our Duty to God is Duty to God grounded chiefly upon our acknowledging him to be God and then admitting of no other And first by acknowledging Acknowledging him to be God him to be a God we are to believe him to be an Infinite Glorious Being without either beginning or end both Father Son and Holy Ghost God blessed for ever We are likewise to To believe him in his Attributes believe him in his Attributes to be a God of Mercy Justice and Power that he sees and knows all things and disposes every Event according to his Will and that he can never cease to be other than perfectly Good Merciful and Just The believing him to be our God
but with a particular regard to every individual Commandment of Go 〈…〉 deriv'd from a fixt and solid hatr 〈…〉 against all manner of Sins The means of t 〈…〉 new and intire Ob 〈…〉 dience Of the means and of present renouncing of Sin must be o 〈…〉 next Care which w 〈…〉 be best perfected 〈◊〉 an impartial retr 〈…〉 into our own Minds there 〈◊〉 may discover the Springs and Fou 〈…〉 tains of our Sins and what Tem 〈…〉 tations we are expos'd to and 〈◊〉 be in a capacity to shun and avo 〈…〉 them and this must be done i 〈…〉 mediately too without any ma 〈…〉 ner of Delay or Pretence for t 〈…〉 it be done and a Bill of Divorce g 〈…〉 ven to every Lust we are in no r 〈…〉 spect fit to meet our Redeemer 〈◊〉 the Holy Table Beside this we a 〈…〉 to put our Souls in 〈…〉 Of imbracing Vertue and quickning Graces the best posture th 〈…〉 we can by imbracinâ— all the Vertues of 〈…〉 good Life and 〈◊〉 possessing them with all those Grâ—â—es that may render them acceptable in the Eyes of God and this we may do effectually by contemplating the Promises and goodness of God and by meditating upon the exemplary Life and Doctrine of our blessed Lord. His Life will put us Charity and Devotion and the necessity of those Graces â—n mind of that Charity and forgiving temper which is so often and solemnly requir'd of us and so essentially necessary in our Sacramental Preparations 't is Death for us to approach God's Feast of Love with any manner of Ranchor or Malice we are to bring no other Dispositions thither but what are dictated to us from a devout Mind A fixt and settled Devotion earnest and frequent Prayers and a Soul disentangled from the World are our properest Companions for this Sacrament and for these we are earnestly to implore God's Assistance without whose help in assisting us with the Graces aforementioned we can never expect 〈◊〉 compleat our Preparations And for the better perfecting aâ— this we are to apply our selves 〈◊〉 our spiritual Guide to the Minister of our own Parish who is th 〈…〉 properest Person in this Case 〈◊〉 him without any manner of reservâ— we are to declare our Doubts anâ— Jealousies and to take his Assistance and Directions and herein 〈◊〉 sort The usefulness of a spiritual Guide We should not be asham'd to discover our selves of shame to discover ourselves oughâ— to deter or disincourage us we oughâ— to open our Case fairly and Impartially that he may know perfectly how matter stand between God and our Soulâ— and then he will be able to give uâ— Advice how to cure both ouâ— Doubts and our Sins the doubtful anâ— As necessary to the Confident as the Doubtful the confident are equally oblig'd to this our own Judgment are not intirely to be relied upon in a Concern where there is so much weight and difficulty nor is the Advantage of a spiritual Guide to be rejected when it can be of use in the Improvement of our Preparation These are the Duties before the Sacrament The next thing is what is to be done at the Time of Receiving At the time of Receiving to meditate upon our unworthiness and Christ's Sufferings and here First Consider thy own unworthiness and how unfit thy Sins and Frailties and the repeated breach of thy Vows have render'd thee for such a Holy Table from hence let thy Meditations lead thee to the Sufferings of Christ When we see the Bread broken and the Wine pour'd out we should reflect that his blessed Body was torn and his Blood split and that it was our Sins that was the Cause of both Consider likewise that the Sufferings of Chrst were the only means to attone the wrath of God and then The Atonement wrought by them thankfulness for them the Love of Christ in them consider what unexpressible thanks are due to him for preserving thy Souâ— that must have perish'd eternally without his help this great Love of Christ for us should stir up in us a love for him and engage us immediately to take up solemn Resolutions to Sin no more and that we may indeed perform these Resolutions we ought earnestly to beg of this crucified Saviour that he will by the Power of his Death mortifie and kill all our Corruptions Just as we are about to receive the The Benefits of the new Covenant seal'd in the Sacrament Consecrated Bread and Wine we should remember that then God is entring into a New Covenant with us that he 's now giving us fresh Assurances of the Pardon of our Sins if we perform our part of the Condition as soon as we have receiv'd we ought to Vpon receiving give thanks and Pray offer him our devoutest Praises for that great Mercy and should be sure never to forget to send up our Prayers to him not more for our selves than for the good Estate of the Church and for the Conversion of all Mankind After the Sacrament After the Sacrament private prayers and Thanksgivings is over then we ought as soon as Possible to retire our selves and to repeat again our Prayers and Praises and to renew our Promises and to beg the Assistance of God's Grace to enable us to make 'em good and to pursue our present Purposes to the end of our Lives The Day we receive Not presently to fall to worldly Affairs the Sacrament should be kept void of all worldly Cares and Business we should spend that Day especially in Prayers and Meditations and indeed no Day should pass but we should call to mind the Promises To keep our Resolutions and the danger of breaking them we make to God at the Sacrament and consider seriously the danger we expose ouâ— selves to in breaking them In breaking ouâ— Vows at the Sacrament Making God and our Conscience our Enemy we make God our Enemy and engage him to withdraw from us all manner of Kindness and Compassion nay we raise an Enemy within ouâ— own Bosom our Conscience must needs fly in our Face and upbraid us with the breach of such solemn Vows and Covenants Gods Mercies in pardoning us heretofore should not give us the least encouragement to provoke him again to presume upon this is a very high abuse of his goodness The obligation of our Sacramental Vows are God's former pardons nâ— incouragement the vow perpetual yet often to be renewed perpetual and can never be violated without the breach of our Oaths 't is perpetual 't is true and yet 't is to be renew'd often We are to do it as often as we have opportunity in remembrance that Christ died for us And thus I have shew'd you the Reverence we are to pay to God in his Sacrament PARTITION IV. Honour due to God's Name Sin 's against it Blasphemy Swearing of Assertory Promissory unlawful Oaths of Perjury vain Oaths and the Sin of them THE
third Qualification is that of Relation Duties in respect to Relation and of this there are divers sorts as First that of a Debtor to a Creditor and of an oblig'd Person to his Benefactor and in both these Particulars we are bound by the strictest ties of Justice and Gratitude Not to pay our just Gratitude to Benefactors the contrary too common Debts when we are able is a Vice almost unpardonable and 〈◊〉 be ungrateful to a Benefactor however common it may be in this unthankful Age is an Act the most sordidly base and disingenieus PARTITION XIV Of Duty to Magistrates Pastors Of the Duty of Parents to Children c. Of Childrens Duty to Parents I Come now to the Duty to Parents nearest kind of Relations and in the first Rank of those I place our Duty to Parents whether Civil Spiritual or Natural The Civil Parent is To the Supream Magistrate Honour he who by a just right possesses the Throne and to him we owe Honour and Reverence we are to look upon him as a Person upon whom God has stamp'd a great deal of his own Power and Authority and upon no Account to speak evil of him or revile him Next we owe him our Tribute which we are to pay him with the utmost both of Justice and Freedom Thirdly Tribute Prayers and Obedience We are to Pray for him that God would direct and assist him in all his Undertakings And Fourthly We owe him a solemn and strict Obedience which both the Laws of God and Nature have commanded us to observe wiâ—â— the most awful and religious Submission The second sorts of Parents aâ—â— the Spiritual viz. thâ— Ministers of Godâ— Duties to our Pastors Word and such aâ— are entrusted with the Salvation of Souls to them we owe the highest Love and Kindness we are oblig'd to esteem and value them as our best and truest Friends we are likewise to contribute to their Maintenance Love Esteem Maintenance Obedience and Prayer and withaâ— to look upon them aâ— Gods Messengers and upon that Account tâ— behave our selves 〈◊〉 them with a great deal of distance and respect and to put up our earnest Prayers to God for them that he would grant them the assistance of his Spirit to enable them rightly to discharge their Holy Calling The third sort of Parent is the Natural Duties to our Natural Parent by which is meant the Fathers of our â—lesh Towards these â—e are to demean our Reverence Love c. â—â—lves with Reverence and Humility and â—pon no Account to contemn or â—â—spise them either in our outward â—ehaviour or in our Hearts we we them our most ardent Love and â—nderest Affection and ought to â—â—hor every thing that can give them the least Cause of Grief or â—isquiet We owe likewise Obedience â—r Obedience to all â—e Commands of our Parents that â—â—e not opposite to the Laws of â—od and cannot violate them â—â—thout exposing our selves to the Punishments he has so often denounc'd in Scripture against disobedient Children Children are not to Marry without the Children not to Marry without the Consent of their Parents Consent of their Parents every Child is so much the Right and Possession of his Parent that he muâ—â— be guilty of Theft to dispose 〈◊〉 himself without his Consent We are likewise bound according to 〈◊〉 Abilities to suppâ—â— their Wants and 〈◊〉 To provide for their Wants Duties to the worst of Parents administer to them 〈◊〉 any kind of Extremity and all this is 〈◊〉 be done even to thâ— worst of Parents But as there aâ—â— many things due froâ— Duties of Parents to Children the Child to the â—â—rent so there are soâ—â— from the Parent 〈◊〉 the Child The Parent is obligâ— to nourish and sustain the Chiâ—â— till he comes of Age to do it himself he is likewise to take Care for his Soul by bringing him early to the To bring them to Baptism to educate them Sacrament of Baptism and by having him timely instructed in the Principles of Religion and educated in the true Faith and Fear of God and as a Means to improve his Education too he is Means towards their Education to encourage and correct him and to use all wise and gentle Means in order to impress upon him a timely Sence of Vertue and good Morals Thirdly The Parent The Parent to watch over the Childs Soul is to watch over the Soul of his Child after he comes to years of Maturity and as often as he finds occasion to exhort encourage and reprove him he is likewise to take Care of his outward To provide for their Sustenance State by providing him with a suitable Condition of Life but above all he is to lay before him a good Example To give them good Example and to make his own Life a fit Pattern for him from whence he may transcribe the true Rules of Vertue Honour Honesty and Godliness and then he is to Bless him and Pray To Bless them and to give them no unreasonable Commands for him and to recommend him often to God's Care and Protection And besides all this too he must be extreamly careful that all the Commands he laies upon him are just and reasonable and in all respects utterly distant from all sorts of harshness or severity PARTITION XV. Of Duties to our Brethren and Relations Husband Wife Friends Masters Servants THE second sort Duties to Brethren Natural Love of Relation is that of a Brother which we may take in a double Sence either Natural or Spiritual I begin with the First the Duties between Natural Brethren I mean such that are of the same immediate Parents And the Duty of these is to have united Hearts and Affections to love one another with great Tenderness and Sincerity and to do their utmost to promote their mutual Good and Happiness This is a Duty so necessary in all The necessity of Love among Brethren Points that without â—t no Family where there is any number of Brothers and Sisters can propose any tolerable Ease or Satisfaction The second sort are Spiritual Brethren Spiritual Brethren under which Notion are comprehended all those that are baptiz'd in the same Faith and Church with our selves and to all these our Compassion is to be the most melting and affectionate with these we are to profess and defend the Faith of Christ Crucify'd and to communicate with 'em in Our Duty to hold Communion with them To bear their Infirmities to restore them after falls and to sympathize with them all Holy Offices we are to bear with their Infirmities and in a friendly manner to admonish and reprove 'em and by fair and gentle Methods to endeavour to bring them to Repentance after they are fall'n We are to sympathize with them in all their Agonies and Distresses whether of Soul Mind or Body The third Relation is that between Husband The