are of such a Temper or no that this Letter recommends and if you are persevere in it to the end remembring that gracious Promise He that endureth to the End shall be saved if you are not make no delay but strive to find out some of those Men that live good Lives and they will be a Help and Benefit to you But above all acquaint your self with a sober Minister and consult him with the great concernments of your Soul Remember alway that this is a Work that must not be delayed for we know not what a Day may bring forth Therefore take St. Paul ' s Advice with which I shall conclude Rom. 13. 12 13 14. Let us therefore cast off the Works of Darkness and let us put on the Armor of Light Let us walk Honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof Heb. 13. 20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant Make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his Sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen A Friendly Letter TO ALL YOUNG MEN c. DEarly Beloved Brethren and Fellow-Members of the Church of England it is to you that I now Write as a Friend and a Brother for such we should all be one to another and our Saviour makes it the great visible Badge of Christianity By this saith he shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one for another Now this Divine Grace of Love and Charity being the Foundation of all Religion let it shew its self that it is in our Hearts by a true and sincere Desire of doing Good to one another and to all Men to their precious and Immortal Souls and let us look upon it as our Duty the Endeavouring to save them and the only means whereby to effect that Work is to promote Godliness in the World and Holiness of Life for without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. Now to the Promoting of Godliness in the World nothing is more effectual than the frequent Conversation of Christians with each other This is a Truth that may be manifested from divers Arguments This is that therefore which in this Letter I would chiefly recommend to you to wit Christian Conversation and Society Man is a Creature made for Society it is by That that he eases his Mind by Communicating his Thoughts it is by That that he receives Comfort by the Counsel of others and gets Wisdom by their Admonition and Advice nay it is by That as an Instrument by which the Holy Spirit does work that he gets Grace For all Conversation is of an assimilating Nature that is it makes Men become like to those they converse withall and consequently the same effect may be reasonably hop'd for from Christian Conversation And this may be further manifested from the Practice of Satan whose Business it is therefore in the first place to divert Men from Christian Conversation and this he effects First By bringing Reproach on such Assemblies as Phanatical and tending to Schism thereby affrighting weak Christians who have not strength to indure Shame for the Name of Christ or that have not Judgment to determine rightly of Enthusiasm and Schism And Secondly by Furnishing of Men with Diversity of other Conversation and for this End he has set up Prophane and Atheistical Clubs in Taverns and Ale-Houses and other Merry Meetings which tend much to the Promoting of his Kingdom because beside other Evils they keep Men from serious and pious Discourse for see what is the Discourse of every Tavern-Club of every Coffee-House-Table of every Merry Meeting What Discourse do you there meet with that is season'd with Grace and to the use of Edifying which the Apostle tells us all our Discourse ought to be It were to be wish'd that it were no worse than Idle and yet for every Idle Word that Men shall speak our Saviour assures us they shall give an Account at the Day of Judgment And if there should be some good Christians among them in such Places yet How are they daunted How little Courage have they to promote any spiritual or savory Discourse How ashamed to reprove any Prophaneness or filthy Talk till by degrees from using to hear such things without Reproving them they grow cold in their Zeal for Religion and at length become insensible so very true it is what the Apostle says that Evil Communication corrupts even good Manners It is like an infectious Disease it gets into our Nature and we know not how and spreads its self into all our Words and Actions This is a true Reason why Christians are so cold in their Devotions so tardy in their Journey Heaven-ward even because they converse too much with the Men of the World which the Holy Ghost assures us is Enmity to God because they are so far taken with one Man's Wit another's good Humour a third's Raillery as to wink at his Prophaneness his lewd Jests his impudent Slander and so by growing cool in their Zeal for Virtue Piety and the Glory of God they at length sink insensibly into an unthinking State whereas if we followed the Apostle's Advice with a Brother that were a Fornicator or a Worldling no not to eat we should then be sure of keeping alive that Fervor and Holy Zeal in our Hearts which alone denominate us Christians Now since it is most manifest That nothing does more promote the Kingdom of Satan than these publick Clubs Why should not good Christians countermine them by making Sober Societies among themselves For in Company with Religious Persons one is tempted to utter those good things which weak Christians are ashamed to speak before the Wicked and we should have great Incouragement to speak what might be to the use of Edifying and ministring Grace to the Hearers and should our selves soon find the Benefit of keeping such Company I am saith Holy David the Companion of all those that fear Thee and keep thy Righteous Judgments Can a Man touch Pitch saith the Prophet and not be defiled therewith Can a Man carry Fire in his Bosom and his Cloaths not be burnt So neither can a Man walk in the Path of the Vngodly but if he hast not out of it he will soon come to stand in the ways of Sinners and at last to sit down in the Seat of the Scornful to mock at all Religion and then his Case is desperate I cannot sufficiently caution you against so dangerous a Temptation as that of Ill Company and especially because there are so many Snares to draw Men into Company in general of which the chiefest and as is commonly
and the young Lion to lie down together yet the Hearing of the Ear in this is yet of more Benefit than the Seeing with the Eye Indeed the silent Arguments of Example work even upon the Natural Man but Discourse edifies more the Christian by Grace for Faith comes by Hearing And therefore in the Second place one Christian kindles another by Consolation Counsel Admonition Instruction and Reproof which though it be every ones Duty to do yet none performs it but the true Christian he who has a greater Love for other Mens Souls than for their Favour or Esteem For want of the Discharge of this one Duty alone How many Thousand well-disposed Persons are utterly lost who cannot of themselves see the Sin that does so easily beset them Witness David who could not see whilst himself was Party and lived near a Year insensibly under the Guilt of Murther and Adultery Certainly Miserable is the Man that has no such Friend and none can be such a Friend but the Christian for he that does not cast the Beam out of his own Eye before he pretends to take the Mote out of his Neighbours his Reproof will be taken for Envy or ill Nature and so will Exasperate rather than Melt But Thirdly this Christian Conversation might be yet more highly improv'd and render'd much more beneficial to our Souls if we would in conversing together so seriously consider the the Graces we want and the Blessings we injoy as by God's Ordinances of Prayer and Praise and the Reading of his Word to bring Christ into our Company to have Him in the midst of us O how happy would that Meeting be and even this we have his sure Word of Promise for then would our Meetings be every Day for the Better to us and we should rejoyce to come often together and even injoy that Communion of Saints which we hope to be of in Heaven A Zeal for God's Glory a Thirst for his Ordinances a tender Love and Pity to the Souls of Men and a Strictness of Life would then insensibly grow upon us so that we should be habitually prepared for all Holy Duties for the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper and even for a sudden Departure out of this World if it should please God so to call us hence and might hope to be reckoned of the Number of those of whom the Prophet Malachi speaks saying Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him I know there are those that would count you Troublesome and Busie-bodies to give them Advice or to pretend to concern your selves about their Souls but however let not this discourage you for of those you give Advice to or admonish if but One in Twenty hears you seriously you have no reason to repent the Loss of your Labour in all the rest Nay if even that it self should not happen yet for Religion's sake you should not hold your Peace for Shall Men be Impudent in the Devil's Service and shall we be Ashamed to own God's Is the Great God and our Maker become so inconsiderable in our Esteem that we dare not stand by Him when Men dare stand up for their Vices Is Eternal Salvation so indifferent a thing that we should be unconcerned for it Do we see the Vices of the Age Growing and Spreading and shall not we stand in Opposition to them Therefore since one teaches another Vice let us teach each other Virtue since one guides another to Hell let us help one another forward in the Way to Heaven and as they make one another Prophane let us teach one another Righteousness in all our Conversation and Friendly Societies and let us incourage others to do the same by our Advice and Example that Religion may once more become a general Practice that our Churches may be fuller and the Publick Prayers more frequented by all that are true Members thereof and those that name the Name of Christ may depart from Iniquity For if it be Charity to direct the Blind in his Way or when we see our Neighbour in danger of being Robbed or his House in danger of being Burnt if to run and help him is Charity then certainly it is greater Charity to instruct the Ignorant by shewing them the right way to Salvation And therefore if you see your Christian Brother your Neighbour or Fellow-Servant in danger of being Ruin'd by keeping ill Company or their Souls in danger of Hell-Fire by Prophaning the Lord's-Day by Neglecting his Laws and Forsaking his Commandments to help such by Godly Advice and Admonition is a great Deed of Charity nay it is your Duty too for thus saith the Lord Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him Be not Guilty then of this great Crime upon any Pretence whatsoever But Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin knowing that he that converteth a Sinner from the Error of his Ways shall save a Soul from Death and shall cover a multitude of Sins All the Texts almost of the Holy Scripture point to this Duty either by Exhorting or Commanding us to set about this Necessary Work first to lead good Lives our selves and then to incourage others to do the same I do not exhort you to Controversie nor to meddle much with those of another Persuasion for that is the Minister's Work but this is your One thing needful to meddle with those that own the same Church and profess the same Faith and yet act contrary to it in their Lives and Conversations Put these in mind of their Baptismal Vow How they then promised to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and yet do live within the Embraces of them all Ask them How they dare blame others for their Unbelief while they live like Atheists themselves How they dare condemn others for separating from the Church when their own Lives and Conversations are quite contrary to the Holy Doctrines thereof How they dare reproach others for want of Seriousness when they live loose Lives themselves and are so far from Remembring their Creator in the Days of their Youth that they forget Him and his Laws all their Days But intreat them to take the Wise Man's Counsel That they make no tarrying to turn to the Lord and put it not off from day to day Put them in mind of the great Benefit of a Holy Life and early Piety and what a Pleasure it will be when they come to die to look back upon a well-spent Life and be able to say
the Danger you are Daily subject to for the Strengthning you against all your Temptations for the Pardoning of all your Sins Surely your Daily Wants your Daily Infirmities Daily Dangers your Daily Temptations and your Daily Sins do all call upon you for your Daily Prayers in your Family For your being a Member of that Church I am sure will not excuse the Neglect thereof Besides this I may be bold to affirm That there is no Church this Day in the Christian World that in her Doctrine doth encourage real Goodness more or strive more to keep the Ballance even that God may have the things that are God's and Man the things that are Man's than the Church we now live in And how you will vindicate your self in the last day for this Neglect I cannot tell When you are exhorted in the Church told in the Pulpit that it is your Duty and God threatens the Neglect thereof with not owning you at the last Day if you do not Pray with your Family at Home as well as bring them to Church Why will you profess your self Her Member if you will not obey Her Doctrine What do you go to Church for only to drive away the time or to act the part of a Hypocrite Do you think the Minister is sent to Preach to you in Vain If you think he doth not Preach the Truth why will you go to Hear him If he doth Preach the Truth why will you not set about to Practice what he saith Do you think that God takes no notice of the Neglect or that He will not call you to an Account for it Yes yes God takes Notice of you as He said to the Prophet They came before thee as my People and they hear my Words but will not keep them and what our Saviour saith in Luke 19. 27. to the Vnprofitable Servant may be said here But those mine Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Men perhaps cannot see this Neglect but God and Angels see it yes and Devils too which will all be Witnesses against you in the last Day of Account O how will you wish when you come to Die you had performed this Duty more your self instead of Laughing at those that do it as too often I have heard some Men blame the Dissenters for their using Extemporè Prayers in their Families when they themselves use none at all in theirs and think their bare being a Member of the Church of England and going to Church once a Week is a sufficient Service for Almighty God If I am not mistaken this has been your Fault Brother And will not this be an Argument against you in the last Day And will not their using Extemporè Prayers in their Family condemn you for using none at all in yours For while you condemn all those that are of another Perswasion who are only Mistaken or Misled in some Texts of Scripture or false Notions of other Mens you condemn your own Neglect and this all Men will allow That he that is Misled in matter of Judgment is more to be excused than that Man who lives contrary to a known Command for the last is condemned in his own Judgment if he will but take time to consider it And let me tell you Brother you will find it a very beneficial and very easie Duty when Love ingageth the Practice of it for What can there be more easie than to pray to God and to represent our Needs and that we have our Needs supplyed only for asking and desiring passionately and humbly Can we buy any thing cheaper than at the rate of an Humble Prayer Consider how many excellent Promises are made to Prayer and that nothing disposes us more to receive the Grace of God and a Blessing upon our Family than Prayer What can be more pleasant than this Duty of Prayer when Christ unites them to his own and bids us come for Relief and Pardon of our Sins For Prayer can open the Gates of Heaven and shut the Gates of Hell it can open the Treasures of Rain and soften the Iron Rocks till they melt into Tears It is an Act of Grace and the highest Honour that we Dust and Ashes are admitted to speak to the Eternal God to run to Him as to a Father to complain of our Burthens to explicate our Scruples to beg Remedy and Ease Support and Comfort Health and Safety Counsel and Salvation And what can be more unreasonable than to neglect this Duty upon which so many and so great Blessings both upon your self and Family do depend How Unkind are you to your self and not only so but Unkind to all that are about you I mean Unkind to their Souls and extreamly Uncharitable to take no care at all of this Duty for the Neglect of which God often sends great Judgments upon a whole Family either by sore Jer. 10. 25. Affliction or sometimes which is worse Hardness and Blindness of Heart for the Word of God will certainly be fulfilled he hath said That the House of the Wicked shall be overthrown Prov. 14. 11. And may not that be said to be a Wicked House when neither Thou nor thy Wife which should be Lights to the rest nor Children nor Servants make Conscience of this Duty to Worship God by Prayer or if you or they chance to do it when you are in the Bed it is with that Coldness and Sleepiness that I may call it none at all or at least Lip-Service when the Heart is a Sleep and by your Example perhaps your Children and Servants think it not their Duty to go to Prayers at all neither Night nor Morning and so they go to Bed and rise the next Morning like Brutes without Calling upon that God in whom we Live and Move and have our Being Therefore let me intreat you to take courage to set about this Duty your self that you may not have Sins of others to answer for as well as your own take up that brave Resolution of the Prophet Joshua But as for me and my House we will Serve the Lord. As you are a Master of a Family you have a place of Trust committed to you by God who will certainly call you to an Account for it For here you are commanded by God to act the part of a King a Father a Priest and a Judge over your little Common-Wealth the Fourth Commandment tells you that every Master of a Family must take care of his Sons and Daughters his Man-servants and Maid-servants and All within his Gates not only to provide Food and Raiment for them but to take care of their Souls which is the better part And here you are to act for God you have the Charge from Him not only of Bodies but of Souls therefore let not the Dignity of your place make you forget your Duty for God will certainly call you and me to an Account for what Good we have done
observe the Lord's Day to sanctifie it and not to neglect if in Health the Publick Ordinances of the Church and not to walk in Publick Walks or Places where much People go tho' he be in good Company to avoid the giving of Scandal to good Christians and encouraging the Wicked in their Ways 2. To receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper frequently and to attend the publick Service and Worship of Almighty God on Week-days as often as Conveniency will permit 3. To watch strictly that by no means any Action of our Lives nor yet any of our Words may bring any Scandal on the Holy Religion we profess being Just in all our Dealings And each Member shall encourage in their respective Families and Stations all manner of Religious Family Duties 4. That every one endeavour to keep his Soul in an habitual Frame of Prayer by setting the Lord always before his Face and by making Spiritual Reflections upon every Occurrence of Providence 5. That we do not wound our Conscience by a servile Compliance in wicked Company but rather to reprove them bearing Testimony to the Gospel of Christ as far as Conscience and Prudence do then permit us to do and yet to shun all manner of Affectation and Moroseness and be of a civil and obliging Deportment to all Men. 6. To avoid all wicked Company when we have not a lawful Call and to abstain altogether from Play-Houses and Gaming-Houses and from Ale-Houses or Taverns except when doing of Business does require and to arm our selves diligently against Excess upon any such Occasions 7. To discountenance as much as may be any Discourse being divulg'd whereby any Prejudice may arise to any Member of this or any other Society or any other Person whatsoever And to take special Care to avoid entring at any time into any manner of Disputes whether about Religion or Government or other Matters as being that which does insensibly betray to Passion 8. To pray for the Society in our private Prayers that God would preserve them especially from Hypocrisie and Spiritual Pride which is the Worm at the Root that will blast all and that we be helpful one to another 9. To exercise Mortification and Self-denial and to keep a Monthly Fast if Conveniency will admit or Necessity require at least to abstain from some Meals sometimes which will much conduce to bring the Body into Subjection to the Soul 10. That we endeavour that all our Discourse may be for the use of Edifying and to minister Grace unto the Hearers we will diligently apply our selves to the Reading the Holy Scriptures and particularly such parts as are most fitted to our Capacities and Information such as amongst many others is St. Matthew 5 6 7. Romans 12. Ephesians 5 6. 1 Thess 5. 11. That every one think it his indispensible Duty to take care of one anothers Soul and not to suffer Sin to lie upon our Brother and therefore if any Member by long absenting himself from the Meeting without known cause does give just Occasion to suspect him of too much indifference that then no Person shall think himself excus'd from the Obligation of striving to reclaim him unless there be some fit Person or Persons pitch'd upon by the Society to go and do that Charitable Office if there may be hope of his Recovery 12. That we often consider with an awful Dread of God's Wrath the sad height to which the Sins of many are advanced in this our Nation and the bleeding Divisions thereof in Church and State and that every Member be ready to do what upon consulting with each other shall be thought advisable towards the Punishment of publick Prophaneness according as the good Laws of our Land require to be put in Execution and in pursuant of the King's Order and Proclamation 13. To beware of rashly-Judging or Censuring others who do not so much frequent Holy Duties as our selves or upon any other account to express due Christian Charity to those of good Conversation thoâ— they dissent from us And to examine our selves every Night that our Repentance may be sincere always evidenced by good Works 14. If any Member of the Society be Sick we do not forget to visit him and others where we see it may be convenient that we may comfort each other in this to a better Life 15. Lastly That the Major-part of this Society may make what Alteration they shall think Necessary in these RULES which done they shall oblige each Member of this Society to performance subscribing his Name hereunto thereby to declare his Approbation of and his Resolution and Endeavour to live up to them Shorter Practical RULES to be read at every Meeting when there is not time for the longer and fit for every Member to get by heart I. THat God's Glory be the end of all our Actions 1 Cor. 10. 31. II. That we Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth John 4. 24. III. That we love God above all things and our Neighbours as our selves Mark 12. 30 31. IV. That we endeavour to make the Word of God the Rule of all our Actions Psal 191. 9. 105. John 5. 39. Rom. 15. 4. V. That we keep the Lord's-Day Holy Exod. 20. 8. Isa 58. 13. VI. That we stir up and exercise the Grace God hath given us in going on from Virtue to Virtue 2 Tim. 1. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. 1 Thess 3. 12. VII That we Pray Frequently Fervent Holy and Persevering 1 Thess 5. 17. Luke 18. VIII To be Just in all our Dealings Matt. 7. 12. Luke 6. 31. IX To receive the Holy Sacrament frequently 1 Cor. 11. 26. Luke 22. 19. X. To have Poverty of Spirit Meekness and Humility Matt. 5. 3 5. Luke 14. 10. XI To watch against Censuring our Neighbours Col. 3. 14. 1 Tim. 1. 5. XII To use our selves to holy Thoughts in all Places Eph. 2. 5. Jer. 23. 23 24. Heb. 4. 13. Psal 139. 23. XIII To examine our selves every Night Psal 4. 4. 2 Cor. 13. 5. XIV To be helpful one to another Cor. 12. 27. XV. To Pray one for another Jam. 5. 15 16. XVI To exercise Tenderness and Compassion to all Men 1 Thess 5. 15. XVII To shun all Occasions of Evil 1 Thess 5. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 9. XVIII To subdue the Body by Fasting Matt. 6. 16. Luke 2. 32 Act. 13. 2 3. XIX To make holy Reflections on our selves when we read the Bible or hear the Word of God James 1. 22 23 24. XX. To endeavour to give no Scandal to the Holy Religion we profess Mat. 18. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 32. XXI To avoid uncomely Jestings and foolish Talking Eph. 5. 4 25. Col. 4. 5. XXII To Judge none that do not so much frequent Holy Duties as our selves Matt. 7. 1. Rom. 14. 13. XXIII Lastly That we all endeavour to encourage pious Discourse and constant Meetings in our Societies as well as enlarge it with suitable Members Mal. 3. 16 17. Col. 6. 9. Heb. 10. 25. James 5. 20. A Friendly Discourse concerning Prophane Cursing and Swearing Wherein is shewed the Heinousness of those Sins and the Necessity of private Persons giving Information to the Magistrates Price Stitch'd Two Pence Sold at the same Place