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B05977 The map of the little world, illuminated with religion being a practical treatise, directing man to a religious scope, and right measure, in all the periods of his life; with devotion suitable. To which is added an appendix, containing a gospel ministers legacie, in some sermons, upon 2 Pet. 1. 12, &c. / By Patrick Strachan minister of the gospel at St. Vigeans. Strachan, Patrick, fl. 1693. 1693 (1693) Wing S5775A; ESTC R184656 117,746 314

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THE MAP OF THE Little WORLD ILLUMINATED WITH RELIGION Being a Practical Treatise directing Man to a Religious Scope and right Measure in all the Periods of his Life With Devotion suitable To which is added an Appendix containing a GOSPEL MINISTERS Legacie to his Flock in some Sermons upon 2 Pet. 1. 12 c. By PATRICK STRACHAN Minister of the Gospel at St. VIGEANS EDINBURGH Printed by John Reid to be sold by Thomas Brown John Vallange their Shops over against the Parliament-Closs Anno Dom. M. DC XCIII Unto the Right Honourable and truely NOBLE JAMES EARL of PANMURE Lord MAUL BREGHIN and NAVAR c. My most Generous PATRON May it please Your Lordship IN Your Goodness to accept of this small Testimony of my bounded Duty for Your Lordships Patrociny and Singular Kindness to me and mine in a constant Course of Favour which hath still issued from Your Noble Ancestors without the least Umbrage in your Noble Person and your most Honourable Lady Who tho the Daughter of a Prince and One of the greatest Peers of this Ancient Kingdom● doth add to Her Natural Splendor th● Lusture of a Condescending and Courteou● Mean as if her Ladyship were of a lowe● Extract I cannot but express the Thankful Sentiments I Entertain of the Favou● of your Noble Predecessors and of you● Honourable and most Worthy Mother● Whose approved Conduct Prudent C●vil and Edifying Way hath not only Engaged me but all who have had the Honour of her Ladyship's Converse to loo● upon her as a Woman among a Thousan● But I know your Lordship needs no borowed Rayes from the Applauses 〈◊〉 Men And therefore I shal not insist B● only to Begg your Favourable Acceptan● of this small Mite of my Gratitude● which tho Weak and Unworthy yet presumes to Kiss your Noble Hands because of its general Design to Advance that Glorious Religion which if it were not opposed by the Lusts of Men and if left to its own Innocence and Native Power would transform the World from a Chaos of Confusion to a wonderous Light So Wishing the Blessings of the LORD' 's Right and Left Hand to your Lordship and Noble Family I shall add no more but that I am in all sincere Duty My LORD Your Lordships Humble Devoted Servant in CHRIST Pat Strachan From my Study at St. Vigeans 14 July 1693. TO THE READER Courteous Read●r IF thou shall be pleased to peruse this little Treatise with the Denvedness and Charity wherewith I have laboured to digest and publish it I hope it will meet with little Censure for this is forbidden Jam 3. 1. And it is very much contrary to the Gospel Spirit and argues too much pride Self conceit in the Cen●urer and a very malevolent humor that will not allow the offer of a little Mite for the building of the LORDs House by another without Disdaine and contempt and because self is so natural ready like the Ivy to twist it self in with the best of our Essayes I here solemnly renounce it so that if this weak Work may be any wise usefull to the Church and promotive of the Glory of GOD I have my End Reward It is not calculated to the Luxurient fancies of Men nor to any sphere of more sublime Judgements but only that it may be helpfull to such of lower Capacities I send it forth without affection not with the Excellencie of words of Mans wisdom but in the simplicity of the Gospel And therefore I humbly commend it to the Acceptance of GOD it being but a smal thing to be judged by Man such as read it let them do it with Humility denyedness and simplicity And I hope they shall not regrate their pains and if it can do any good it s better done than undone and may possibly drop upon some and afford them a little Oyl to their Lamps to take the blessed Rod of the Kings High Way to lead them through the Laborinth of Time and after all the Wyndings and Traverses of the Stages of our Life happlly bring us by a safe Conduct to the Land of Joy and Peace which that it may contribute to is the earnest Wish of Thy Servant for CHRIST's Sake P. S. The Contents The Entrance Period 1. OF our beginning and bygone life page 1 The prayer Ibid Stage 1. 2 Of the Formation of the Infant 3 Of the propagation of the Soul 5 Of Original sin 7 Of Infant Baptism 10 Stage 2d Of the care of Parents 12 Of Regeneration 13 Of Confirmation 16 Stage third of the evils incident to Children 18 A brief Reinforcement of the duty of Parents 25 A prayer of parents for their Children Ibid A prayer of a Child 27 Stage 4 which Resumeth the instructions for Children 29 The prayer 36 Period 2. Stage 1. Which considereth the portracture and lineaments of Youth 37 The evils incident to Youth 43 Directions for the recovery of Youth 49 The motives Page 58 The prayer 60 Stage 2d Of mans entring into a settled state with suitable Directions 63 The necessity of domestick devotion 72 A morning prayer to be used in a family 75 The evening Prayer 77 Suitable prayer for the bygone stage 79 Stage 3d. which divideth into three courses 80 Course first of the ordering thy person family c. 82 The means and methods to mannage this state of life aright 85 Which are 1st Wisdom Ibid 2ly Prudence 86 3ly Providence 87 4ly Government 88 5ly Improvement Ibid Motives to mannage this state of life 89 The prayer 113 Course 3d. What fine your labour in vertue and piety c. hath come to Ibid Period 3. Of what is to come in the declensians of Nature 119 Stage first Of a serious Recollection of thy self c. 120 What now remains to be done 128 A continuation of this Stage to the outmost Extent of mans life 131 The Prayer 138 Stage 2d Of the 4 last things 139 Of Death ibid Prayer in order to Death 148 Of Judgement 149 The Prayer 155 Of Hell 156 The prayer 159 Of Heaven ibid The prayer 163 A Lamentation for the decay of Religion 167 The Prayer 176 A Vindication of the Forms of Devotion used in this Treati●e Ibid Prayers according to the dayes of the Week 179 Of Psalmodie 189 Of the Doxologie 190 A Vale to the World 195 Devotion suitable 204 In the Appendix SErmon I. Of the compact Chain of our Holie Religion c. page 1. Sermon II. The dutie and diligence of the Apostolick Curate discribed c. page 10. Sermon III. of the expediency and usefulness of the means for the advancement of practical Religion c. page 26. Sermon IV. Of the practical knowledge of Death and the Information that the LORD giveth some of his favorites thereof c. page 36 Sermon V. Of the endeavours which faithful Ministers have to make their labours useful after their decease c. page 45. Sermon VI. Concerning the truth and excellency of our Holy Religion
not be so well made eflectual let both Pastors and Parents double their Diligence in bearing in the Principles and Practices of Religion into the tender Hearts of their Children by Prayer and other laudable means for that Holy End STAGE III. The Contents Of the evils incident to Children in this Stage● their Life Some Rules for the Ordering● their Life VVith a Reinforcement of t● care Incumbent to those that are over th● with sutable Devotion § 1. IT is a sad Complaint of the Spi●● of GOD Gen 6. 5 That the Im●ginations of the thoughts of the heart of man 〈◊〉 evil and only evil continually and that 〈◊〉 pueritia from his Childhood Which 〈◊〉 we consider aright Man shall find that 〈◊〉 hath all the Dimensions of the Body●● sin and Death Rom 7 to the end 〈◊〉 tho where Grace comes this Canaani●● not ejected tho dejected this corrupti●● hath invenomed our whole Nature 〈◊〉 hath its seat in our Heart and never ce●●eth to foam and to boil like the Bottom●● pit It is a deep thing that no Huma●● Engine can reach for The heart is dec●●ful above all things VVho can know it Je●● 17. 9. This disease doth alienate us from t●● Life of GOD Eph 4 18. It hardneth ou● heart depraveth our will perverteth ou● affections infecteth our Senses and inflameth our Appetite after evll O man search and dissect this disease and thou shall find the Poison of Asps not only under thy tongue but in thy heart Rom 3. 11. And the very nature of the Serpent in all thy Faculties Which if reflected upon aright may through the Grace of GOD begin the Rise and kindle the first sparks of Regeneration § 2. Although it be hard to Enumerate all the evils of Childhood Yet to the help of any considering Man in his Reflection I shall hint at some Blemishes thereof Some have mentioned Vitium naturae gentis personae The common Vice of Nature and the more particular evils of the Clime and Person All have the common disease which vents it self in Nations Families and Complexions in a different manner So some Natures are more mild some more fervide In some the Irascible in others the Concupiscible appetite doth Predomine This would be well considered that man may be the more fitted to correct the corruption of this inconsiderat time of his Age But the more particular errors of this Circumstance are Ignorance Idleness Careleness Inconsidera●ness and Falsen●● whereby Man is Inclined to Lying Ch●●ing and Stealing So that this indisc●● Fool hath some Wisdom to do evil 〈◊〉 he be simple to good As also Envy 〈◊〉 Spirit that is in us sayeth St. James lust●● to Envy and St. Augustine after him sai●● Vidi zelantem puerum a sort of Emulati●● and Envy in Young Ones together wi●● evil custom Especially in speech whe●● by a man alas layes aside his Glor●● and soon learneth to speak the Langua●● of Hell As also how prone is the N●ture of man in this Circumstance to lea●● and use sinfull Childish Tricks In thin●● belonging to Nature which fair Natu●● hath put a Vail over to hid the●● from the Eyes of Curiosity And a●● these are Nursed by an inconsiderate min●● and an unactive Conscience But wha●● need I mention these evils Since th●● poor Stripling is exposed naked to all evils under the Sun So that Man●● when he hath any power to reflect is to consider the mercy of GOD that ever he hath been reduced to any Sense and Judgement For § 3. If he shall now delineat himself he shall find the Root the rise the spruteing of these evils in him Ignorance is the ●●ause of all our wandrings he is born blind ●nd like a whelp seeth not till such a day ●s long ere the scales fall off his eyes and ●s by a mercifull miracle of Grace that ●ver he sees He 's ignorant of GOD ●hat rude conceptions and Ideas doth his ●ind and phansy conceive of the Deity ●ot considering GOD in his Spiritual and ●oly Nature and excellent Properties the Eternal and first Being the infinite Rea●on and Light of all the rational World And so good that if known Man cannot ●ut adore fear love and choise him ●hen he beholds him in the mirrour of ●is word and works and in the express i●age of his person Jesus Christ He is also ●gnorant of himself tho' nos●e teipsum be a common principle He knows not whom he represents being the image of the invisible GOD tho much eclipsed by sin Yet there remains some sparks and scintils of it in his Rational Nature Which if by Grace improved may reduce this wandring Creature to the paths of Righteousness He is also ignorant of the way to Salvation and his eyes will be no sooner op●ed but he 'l have reason to cry out What shall I do to be saved Acts 20. 37. altho he may think at first the way to 〈◊〉 strait for so indeed it is sayeth our Savio●● Yet shall he see his corruption to be 〈◊〉 cause that it is so difficult and if throu●● GOD's blessing he shall consult Grace●● he shall find rhe way so straight and pla●● that a wayfairing Man tho a fool shall 〈◊〉 err therein Isaiah 35 8. § 4. I shall not enlarge upon the oth●● evils incident to our Nature Since if th●● of Ignorance were Removed and Co●●scence awaked to any exercise man sha●● find it highly rational to correct the re●● for when Light comes in it will make 〈◊〉 ashamed of those things we have taken pleasu●● in When we feed the Brute in Darkne●● and forgot the Soul and left it lyin●● maimed and dying in its Blood Th●● light will easily discover the preferance of love to Envy Truth and Honesty to falshood And make the man when he finds himself naked to hid his eyes from himself and bestow the more abundant honour upon his more uncomely parts this light will discover the Leopards spots of ill custome and turn the man from black to white It will reduce the straying sheep and let him see where he is what he is and what he shall do § 5. Solomon gives unto such an excel●ent Direction The fear of the LORD is the ●eginning of Wisdom And the LORD's word makes the simple wise sayeth the Psalmist This parents and teachers should mainly ●nculcate upon young and tender Hearts And as man has by Education The advantage of these Instructions So he would be also taught to moderate and Govern his passions and to Rule his own Spirit especially ro guard against any peculiar and personal infirmity of his nature and to strangle the Eruption thereof by Discretion And with-all to learn to bow his knee betimes and seek Grace from GOD who giveth liberally and upbraideth no man For which he is to consider the advantage of Early piety and to weaken sin ere it come to an habite Isaack had the advantage of good education but his sons were more pregmatick and possibly lost much of his
their phansie who deny CHRIST's Offices Ministers Ordinances and Institutions will be so bold as to contradict it And therefore it concerns Parents Religiously to go about the Baptism of their Children and remember the great obligation they stand under for their pious Education And of Children baptized to reflect upon it when they come to any Knowledge and to improve it well by the Instruction of their Parents and Tutors whose serious Instructions grave Example and earnest Prayer for Young Ones may help to instill and drop in such Counsels into their easie and blank minds as may leave some Relish as a Vessel may still keep something of the tast and smell of the first liquor according to that Ancient observe quo semel est imbuta c. and this stage of our life may be reckoned to the fourth year of our Age. STAGE Second The Contents Of the particular care of Parents and Governours as to Children from four years old to twelve of studying their nature and genious and the in●●●ling and droping in some clear and common principles of Religion with the consideration of Regeneration and when the Children come to be about twelve years of age of their solemn Confirmation § 1. As the Children grows so should the care of their Parents increase towards them its dangerous to suffer the evil of their Nature to take rooting for then it will turn tenacious and obstinate it 's better to take the little Foxes that hurt their tender Gardens Cant. 2. 6. and by Religious conduct use the best means to Eradicate the corruption of their Nature and to correct that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and disorder that is naturally in them by frequent and gradual dropping of good counsel into their hearts especially by fixing in them the common notion of a GOD and fearing of Him of honouring their Parents And withal to acquaint them with their Baptismal Dedication and in as much as is possible to open up unto them the m●sterie of their redemption through Jesus Christ and that not only they know to Repeat the Law the Creed and Lords Prayer But also to make them according to their capacitie to understand these Thus entereth Knowledge into their Hearts as a little Drop by frequent falling makes a cavity and hollowness in the stone § 2. Although the Spirit of GOD the Author of Regeneration like the wind bloweth when where and how he pleases Joh. 3. v. 8. And calleth some sooner some later yet is it not improper to set it down here for that same LORD that Blessed Babs can Sow the Seed of Grace in their Hearts And of this Regeneration I shall only remember Man of the Necessity Nature and Evidence thereof First as to the necessity Our Saviour is very positive Job 3. v. 2. and 3. Except a man be Born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of GOD and no outward exercise of Religion can avail us without the New Creature the Old-man must be Crucified and the New-man formed and Nurished ere we can be fit for the Kingdom of GOD. And 2ly We cannot better take up the Nature of it than by considering the Author and the manner of his Operation in producing this Work It is only the Spirit of GOD that doth it so is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3. 8. Of His own Will begatt He us that we should be a kind of first Fruits of His Creatures Jam 1. 18. This New Creature then is clearly the Product of the Spirit of GOD Who doth this work mediatly by the use of means especially by the Word o● Truth and other holy Engines that he is pleased to make use of Yet is not this Work produced of any means but by the concurse of the principal Agent the Word illuminats and perswads but there 's more then Moral Swasion in this Work for GOD's promise in the Covenant is to put his Laws in our inward parts Jer 3. 33. They receive by their Conversion a heavenly seed which abideth in them that will not suffer them to sin as the wicked do John 3. 9. Whosoever is born of GOD doth not commit sin for His seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he is born of GOD. Yet as to the production of this new Creature it may be so secret for a time like the Infant in the Womb so clouded and over-powr'd by Temptation and Corruption that it doth little appear and it takes a long time ere it become perfect in degrees and visibly compleat as to parts althô the Child tho little and weak is potentially a perfect man Parents then and Governours should with St. Paul travel in birth till Christ be formed in their Children 3ly As to its Evidence the Apostle manifests it fully 2 cor 5. 17 Behold all things are become New The man is wholly renewed in Quality tho not in Substance so that he may very well say Ego non sum ego He hath a more generous spirit with Caleb a better heart with David a more shinin● face with Moses and the lips of the Righteous feed many And tho no man ca● make this Change yet is he exhorted to make him a new heart Ezek. 18 31. Th●● is to use the means and well to consider that the spirit of GOD begets this ne● Creature by the word of Truth Jam 1 18 That such may be a kind of first fruits of H●● Creatures and for himself to show forth● His praise Who hath called them from darkness to Light § 3. It is very promotive of Grace also when Children comes to this state of Life that they be Confirmed after they can give any account of their Creed and of their Prayers according to the Blessed Pattern The LORDS Prayer For we read frequently in the Acts of Confirming the Disciples after they were Prose●●ted to the Christian Religion whereby the new Plantation was fixed and by a sort of personal Covenanting with GOD they were Engaged to His Service by their Voluntar Consent This is the practice of the Universal Church Which if simply done and not elevated unto a Sacrament is laudable and promotive of the Ends of Religion And tho it be quarrelled with by some in this Nation Yet if it could be got well done in every particular Parish Since the Bishop may not be alwayes Vacant it may be thought no Disorder for the Parish Minister every year as Occasion offers to do this in the presence of the Parents and famous Witnesses personally and particularly to joyn them to the LORD And if there were not alas too great incuriousness about matters of Religion a mean so helpful to the ends thereof may be put in use So to conclude this Point I shall Reinforce my earnest Exhortation to Christian Parents in behalf of their Children for this particular instance of their Care for their Souls and to remember Gospel Ministers of their duty as to this And since through the unsetledness of the Times it can