herein mentioned Consider what I have said to you upon it I do not intend ye should think it any ways full or Perfect my Capacitie not allowing me to pretend to any fitness for doing thereof and having but in some things given you my Opinion but if from your heart ye seek after God and depend upon him for Direction He will for Jesus sake give Knowledge and what else will be necessar for you And I intreat ye may consider this as the Advice of an affectionate Father that with his Heart and Soul wishes your eternal Wel-fare You are now at a distance from me and in a Society that makes me the more solicitous anent you for often do's Youth at Colledges instead of acquiring Learning and any thing desirable procure to themselves an habite of vitious Living and this sometimes happens to such as may be judged in probability would without the temptation be free thereof I intreat you beware of keeping such Company as may be a Snare to you and seriously ply your Book which is the end of your being in the place Be careful not only in giving a dutiful obedience to your Regent and the other Masters of the University but also of paying that due Reverence and Respect that is owing to their several Places be observant of their Orders not from fear but for Conscience sake and attend duely to the Diets appointed for your Class let your Converse where you lodge evidence your Discretion and Respect not only to the Head of the Family but to your Comrads and all within it and be sure you be not absent from Family-exercise nor from your Chamber at late or unseasonable hours Mind my Directions to you anent the Sabbath and beware of spending any part thereof in idle Converse forbear in that day your being in the Streets except when you go and come from the Church and attend the Diets of your Class before and after Sermon but above all make Conscience of seeking with earnestness of heart that our God for Jesuâ—â— sake may keep you from all evil let it be you great Work to grow in greater nearness to God for surely the World is Vanity and every thin we so much pursue after will appear to us wheâ—â— Death is at our door as the height of Vanity and most contemptible Think often of thâ—â— certainty of Death and that to the healthiest 〈◊〉 Youth it may come in a Moment mind thâ—â— also certainly after Death will come Judgment where even the most secret of our sinful thought shall be laid open before the Tribunal of a Juâ—â—â— God and a most dreadful and horrible Sentence pronounced against all such as shall 〈◊〉 be found in Christ our Blessed Lord who 〈◊〉 only able to stand betwixt Sinners and the Stroke due to them in Justice It is most lamentable that the Generality even of such as profess to be Christians are either truly Atheistical and among the number of such Fools as in Psal 14.1 Says in their heart there is not a God Or they vainly pretend an Interest where they have no Title the Apostle in Heb. 12.14 Having expresly said that without Holiness it is impossible to see the face of God It is true all that possibly wretched man can perform do's little deserve to be call'd Holiness but our hearty endeavour after Duties a serious continued sense of our Failings our hearts mourning because thereof and our humble coming to and relying upon Christ our Saviour in Faith for Mercy is graciously accepted of by our infinitely Good and Merciful God Ye would consider how our corrupt hearts agreeing with the general Practice and Belief of almost all owning themselves to be Christians seeks to perswade us to an Indifferency and Unconcern'dness in our Souls well-being and would make us believe that the punctual performing of Duty as Christians is but an over-doing if not Hypocrisy and every Person is ready to befool themselves with a groundless Confidence that they will be saved where they are little concerned in the Salvation of their Souls or the means of attaining to it wherefore think ye often with seriousness upon what is said Mat. 7.13 Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it This â—aying ought to be much in your mind for stirring you up to Duty lest you be found to be amongst the great number that goes in the Broad-way to everlasting and dreadful Damnation for in any worldly Concern if to a Society of Persons were offered that a few number of them upon doing of some Duty required should undoubtedly have Riches and worldly Honour every one without Arguments inducing them to it would be earnest in doing what might include them in that Number and what unspeakable Degrees are poor â—inners more concerned to endeavour with all their Power the giving Obedience to the Gracious Commands of our God that we may enter in at the Strait Gate leading into that everlasting Blessed Life I have already something signified to you the excellency of Humility it is truly most desirable and without which a Sinner hath not any Ground to expect access to God for as Pride in ordinar Converse and in worldly Affairs is hateful so in what relates to our Duty as Christians any tincture of Conceit and Pride is utterly to be abominat as being a principal Engine of the Devil for the destruction of the Souls of Mankind and that Excelling Grace of true Humility is the great Ornament of a Christian as Pride is the undoubted Marâ— of corrupt Natures prevailing yea so great 〈◊〉 the excellency of Humility as it may be saiâ— without Hyperbole that our infinitely Merciful God will not yea such is His free Mercy cannot refuse the Acceptance of a sincerely humbled Sinner it is indeed much to be prized and most advantagious and it necessarly must be where there is a true sense of our miserable Condition I do again intreat your being frequent and serious in your Prayers to God from whom every thing must come to you and let every one of your Thoughts and Actions speak forth your being truly humble in the sight of God and Man The Apostle Peter in Cap. 5. vers 15. of his First Epistle desires ye may be cleathed with Humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the Humble Let all your Actions flow from a true Principal of love to God and sincerely designing His Glory Often is Duty gone about when the motive to the doing thereof is sinful Self which is our very great Enemy for it wickedly leads and forces us to every evil Thought and Action therefore strive with all your might that no selfish sinful Inclination prevail over you and that the Principle moving you may be truly love to God and the end
Scripture to be against His express and positive Command 54. So much as is within your power endeavour the living peaceably with all Men forbear if possible all Law-Suits with your Neighbours for it is surely your Interest to forgo some considerable part of what is your own rather than seek your Redress by that Mean and if you can perswade your Party if Providence shall tryst your having of any to refer what Difference there may be betwixt you to equal knowing and honest Arbitrators chosen by your selves you may have a Sentence it is like better and with much less trouble and vexation than can be had the Difference being insisted upon before ordinar Judges 55. As you are to forbear prejudging or offending of your Neighbour so if you be prejudged or offended by him entertain no resentment of the Injury that may be inconsistent with an intire forgiving thereof Remember our blessed Lord Mat. 18.22 In answer to that Question How often shall a Man forgive his Brother Enjoyns it not only seven times but seventie times seven And in Prov. 20.22 We are required not to recompence evil but to wait upon the Lord and he shall save us Yea truly there is no access to God in Duty where there is not in the heart an absolute forgiving of Injuries received You find in Mat 5.24 The Israelites were to leave their Gift at the Altar and go and be reconciled to their Brother and then to offer and surely if our hearts entertain any Rancor or Prejudice toward our Neighbour We do in pronuncing the words of that excellent Prayer of our Lord directly desire our ever lasting Destruction The Petition in plain and express words being not only to be forgiven as we do forgive but in Mat. 6. where He iâ— teaching His Disciples that Prayer in the very Verses following He adds But if ye forgive not men their Trespasses neither will he forgive you your Trespasses 56. If your Neighbours or others by speaking or acting prejudge you in your Person your Relations your Goods or good Name let the Effect thereof be your retiring your self to your own heart and your examining your Ways in the sight of God if you find that you have deserved such usage fly to God by hearty Repentance and acknowledge even your Obligation to the Instrument albeit your Good hath not been by him intended and if after a strict search you shall not see that you in that measure deserved what you have met with yet look not to the Rod that striketh but the Hand that ordereth every thing well in His wise Providence and believe that no Dispensation comes without its errand nor can we meet with any thing so grievous to us but what we merit at Gods Hand and humble your self in His Presence that He for Christ our Lord's sake may sanctify every Dispensation to you-ward and thereby bring you to a greater nearness to Him 57. If it please God you live in this foolish and vain World whilst it be your Duty to enter into a married State remember your doing thereof is the Action that doth not only greatly concern your Well-being in the World but is what may further or hinder your eternal Happiness Therefore that your choice of a fit Person may be conducive to these Ends be in the first place earnest in your Prayers to God that he direct you therein Parentage Beauty and a competency of Means are desireable and what you may very lawfully with Moderation concern your self about but either yea all of them together are what yields no real satisfaction Beauty is a Blessing and I think the Choice of every man should at least have so much thereof as satisfies him but it will evidence the height of Folly to propose it as a chief Ground of satisfaction for Sickness a few Years or a thousand Accidents may not only impair but destroy it And albeit it were possible it could continue in the greatest Perfection desirable yet is it certainly amongst what gives just Ground to cry out that all is Vanity and the wisest of Men and of greatest Experience even in that Particular hath said Prov. 31.30 Favour 〈◊〉 deceitful and Beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Let it bâ— your great care she have the fear of God iâ— her heart It is true it is hard to determine where that is and I can give you no Rules directing to any certainty thereof but it is moâ—â— desirable she be of honest and religious Parentage and that she be of good Report and freâ— of such Carriage and Deportment as speaks for t her want of the Fear of God such as any tendency to immodesty in her Speech or Actions Gaâ—ding and being much Abroad Idleness 〈◊〉 frequenting idle Company or any thing else notoriously vitious for albeit a Woman not guâ—ty of these Crimes may prove an uncomfortable Match to a Man Certainly such as are guilty without the special Grace of God restraining wiâ—â— prove so Endeavour as what will much teâ—â— to your quietness in that State that she be 〈◊〉 a meek and affectionate Temper and Dispositâ— on for as it is a quality unexpressibly desireable in either Man or Women so it is most necessar to the Peace and Wel-being of Parties under that relation 58. As ye would not enter rashly into a married State so being in it consider the Charge ye thereby come under which is indeed great and requires the discharge of Duty toward your Children your Servants as you are severally concerned in them and of Family-duties towards them and all within your Family in general I intreat the great end ye propose to your self in Marriage may be the having such a Wife as will encourage you in the ways of Godliness and make it your great work so to live with her as your only Strife may be who shall excell therein Remember she is one flesh with you and is the nearest of Relations as in Eph. 5.31 A man shall leave his Father and his Mother and shall cleave to his Wife and they two shal be one flesh Yea the same Apostle hath told you in the 28. vers of that Chapter Men ought to love their Wives as their own Bodies he that loveth his Wife loveth himself Fornication is expresly discharged in Scripture and Adultery is a dreadful Aggravation of the Crime let not the thought of your Heart go after any other Woman But as in Prov. 5.18 Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth and in Mal. 2.15 Command that none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth Be tenderly affectionate to her and express it at all occasions But I my self could never like of that Affection that is held forth by a Man's giving of Gift to his Wife whilest they live together what is convenient for her in her Station being absolutely her Proprietie and I consider a man's giving any thing to his Wife except with a prospect of it's being useful
to and keeping it in a tender frame yea the advantages thereof are so great as may stir up to the redeeming time for the exercise thereof even from what may lawfully be allowed to our worldly Concerns or bodily Refreshment and how much more then ought we when we are alone guard against our minds going out after foolish and vain fancies if not what is grossly sinful in the sight of God Surely if we had an awful sense of his omnipresence and omniscience we would dare to be thinking upon what is unallowable in his sight and if we had a sense of our miserable condition through sin our hearts would ever be ready to take hold of all occasions of serious thinking how we should evite the Curse and Wrath of God to all eternity which unavoidably will be the Portion of hardned sinners not coming to God in and through Christ David in Ps 4.4 Requires we stand in aw and sin not and that we commune with our hearts upon our beds whereby you may be satisfied it hath been the practise of the Godly seriously to meditate at all times The subject Matter for your meditation is obvious and will easily occur as the Debt we ow to the Justice of God for sin the certainty of Death and after that of Judgment the misery of such as shall be Doomed to Hell with the Devils and so for ever separate from the Presence of God His incomprchensible Mercy to lost sinners in Jesus Christ and the Fulness of the unspeakable Joys that is secured to such as heartily and humbly lays hold thereof yea innumerable are the Subjects of that exercise that will with ease offer themselves and I advise for your Direction and encouragement to that Duty that you read the last Part of Mr. Baxter's Saints rest which doth fully Treat thereof 8. Every Evening set some short time apart and state your self as before God's Tribunal take a back-look upon your Actions of that day and what you have done towards God or your Neighbour amiss acknowledge it with contrition and brokenness of heart and seek of God Grace enabling you to a due Reparation either by a sorrowful even publick acknowledgment thereof in so far as they are sins against our good God providing the same may tend to the Edification of His Church and People or by repairing the prejudice of any hurt done to your Neighbour in so far as it is possible within your power and in your Evening Prayer acknowledge the goodness of God throughout all the days of your time and in particular acknowledge Him for the Mercies of that day and enlarge your self in Prayer as in the Morning 9. As you are called to own a Profession of Godliness so you are to avow the publick performance of Duty wherever Providence shall tryst your Being yet for the most part you would endeavour its Being as retired and as private as possible at least beware that to be seen or heard of men or any self end be not a Motive to your doing thereof I remember to have heard of a woman meeting with godly Mr. Fox upon the Street and after some discourse she pulling out her Bible told him she was going to hear a Sermon upon which he said to her if you will be advised by me go home but said she when shall I then go to Church To whom he answered when you tell no body of it 10. Beware of Hypocricie and be assured God will not be dissembled with he hath in many places of Scripture ranked Hypocrites with the worst of sinners you will find Mat. 23.13 they are amongst the number of such against whom our Lord denounces a Wo and in Chap. 14.51 the misery of their condition is held forth in the Sentence of the unjust Servant where as an aggravation of his punishment it is said his portion shall be with the hypocrites where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Do not you appear to be what you are not and let the design of being thought religious or the making use of a Profession to cloak your carnal and worldly ends be far from you I acknowledge to be morally honest is not to be religious but mind that without endeavouring to be so in all your Actions there is no Religion And it is the height of folly for any to think that their being of a Perswasion with those that are the most godly or their own practising even with much appearing sincerity the Duties of Religion where there is not Moral Honesty doth so much as truly entitle them to the name of Christians it is true every man is subject to Failings and an entire doing of what is required of us is not within the power of sinful man but as truly are our Failings in Moral Duties either where they are customary and habitual or not repented of and endeavoured against difect indications of the want of Religion and that our Lord notwithstanding the Name and Profession of such will disown them in their greatest extremity and you may see the Prophet Micah holding forth that the outward performing of what was legally required of the Jews was not the principal part of their Duty and says in Chap. 6.7 8. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And God by the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 4.24 saith Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness judgement and righteousness in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. Yea our Lord himself in that most excellent Sermon upon the Mount hath said Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven 11. Mind what you are engaged to in your being Baptized and live up to that solemn engagement you are to fight out your Warfare under the Banner of Christ our Lord and renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh seek of God for Jesus sake that He may give you knowlegde and enable you to see and live up to the solemn Tyes you are under through your baptismal Covenant and as ye will answer to our good God at the day of your Appearance before his Tribunal be not among the number of such as never thinks of Baptism being otherwise useful then as a Ceremony for their having a Name 12. I expect that you will be able as the Apostle requires to give an Answer to every man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope or Belief that is in you with Meekness and Fear Forbeâ—â— Debates and Disputings upon Controversies in Religion what
plainly holds forth the duty of Christians in their whole life is uncontravertedâ— clear from the Scriptures and all Debates 〈◊〉 religious matters that have not the alone prospect of bettering and advancing of Knowledge are certainly not allowable And as your heartâ— all times ought to be over-filled with true love 〈◊〉 God and such as bears his Image so especially be respective to the Ministers of the Gospel being Ambassadors for Christ and Administrator of the Ordinances appointed by him in the Neâ—â— Testament as the Apostle enjoyns 1 Thes 5 1â—â— I beseech you brethren mark them which labour amongst you and are over you in the Lord and adminish you and esteem them very highly in Love for the works sake And let not the infirmities of any 〈◊〉 them procure in your heart any disrespect to thâ—â— holy Calling But mind what the same Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.7 That we have this Treasure in earth en Vessels that the exeellency of the power may be 〈◊〉 God and not of us 13. As you are to have a Pity and Love eveâ— towards such as altogether wants Religion 〈◊〉 worships God not truly as he hath appointed 〈◊〉 his Word so ye would altogether avoid the least of Animosity with such as with Charity 〈◊〉 may judge differs only anent Church-government or any thing else not inconsistent with the salvation of their Souls not doubting but ye will sinâ— at the day of Judgment that the many Niceitieâ— which a great part do but too much concern themselves in are the effects of want of Charit and a gospel Frame and disposition of heart 14. The wickedness of our hearts is such as doth altogether unfit for the doing of Duty Have we any prosperity in the enjoyment of health or any thing desireable in the world we are seldom or never in a frame for rightly acknowledging God for his Mercies and improving them to the end of our having thereof And if Providence tryst our being crossed in what is delightful to us how ready are we to dejection of mind and what does unfit for Duty let every Dispensation of God to you-ward lead you to the consideration of failings in your bypast life and stir you up to a suitable walk under what you are trysted with Endeavour an equality of Temper in all your ways if Dispensations any ways prosperous be your Lot consider you have them from God and humbly acknowledge his Mercy in what ever you meet with and if what is more cross befal you repine not thereat but mind that the worst of Conditions is above your desert Seek of him with earnestness that you may truly learn his holy Will in all his Dispensations and in Prosperity or Adversity let all your care be to know what ye are called to as Duty and to endeavour with diligence the doing thereof even in things relating to this life then with chearful Submission leave the event of all your concerns to God who is wonderful in goodness to such as fear and trust in him 15. When the Lords day is come remember to keep it holy as God has expresly appointed in his 4th Command And in order thereto prepare your Heart for the Duties thereof before it approach for however a great many in this Age may contravert the Morality of that Precept for the due observation of the Sabbath yet may you be satisfied with what is fully held forth by I may say all the most serious and godly of Divines that it is from the Practise noâ— only of the Primitive Church being the mospure of Christians but even of the Appostles whâ— were immediately inspired of God and whose Example we are bound to follow And as the due Observance of the Sabbath under the Law was enjoyned under the certification of greâ—â— wrath from God as in Nehemiah 13. cap. v. 17. and 18. What evil is this that ye do and prophaâ—â— the Sabbath did not your Fathers thus and did 〈◊〉 our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this Câ—ty yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profanity the Sabbath So the Promises to the doing there of were great as in Isa 56.2 Blessed is the mâ—â— that doth this and the son of man that layeth holdâ—â— it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it Aâ—â— 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath and from doing thy pleasure on my holy day aâ—â— call the Sabbath of the Lord a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not finding thiâ—â— own pleasure nor speaking thine own words then shaâ—â— thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thâ—â— to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed the with the heretage of Jacob thy father for the mouâ—â— of the Lord hath spoken it Yea not only from History the judgments of God upon Sabbath-breakers are manifest but such as are of small Experience may evidently perceive the dreadful consequences thereof in the confession of almost all Malefactors that comes to publick Execution It is trâ—â— such as are pleased to have no respect to the dâ— Observation of the Sabbath and to object againâ— the obligation upon Christians for keeping it holy doth answer to that of its being so generally confessed by dying Penitents that the same flows but from their Education and its being inculcat in them to be so sinful but what answer will such I may say prophane Wretches give to this so palpable Evidence of God's displeasure with the profanation of that Day that He in his over-ruling Providence often permits notorious Breakers of the Sabbath to fall in such sins as even brings them to open and shameful Punishment in this World And albeit the ways of God's Providence are not to be fathomed and gross Sinners of every kind do's in things relating to this life Die without any appearing Marks of God's displeasure which may fully satisfie all rational Persons that there is a Judgment to come so the temporal Calamities sometimes trysting Sinners in this World are an Earnest of what shall be Dispensed at that dreadful Day to such and it may plainly appear to you that the Cavilling against the Obligations for keeping Holy the Sabbath of our Lord is of the Devil being that only such as want tenderness of Conscience and Love not to live in any thing according to the Rules of the Gospel do thus declare themselves whereas Persons whose hearts are God-ward however their Frailty may hinder the due performance of their Duty are ever ready to acknowledge their Obligation to the observation of that Day to be kept a Sabbath Holy to the Lord. Yea Sir Matthew Hale late L. Chief Justice of England whose Memory is Savoury to all good men that knew or heard of him in his Directions to his Children for keeping the Lords Day doth press it upon them for several Reasons and in one whereof he saith because I have found by long and sound Experience that the due observance of that
most usually dealing of that kind proceeds from a covetous desire of over-reaching their Neighbour and it is much to be wished and were most desireable that Buying and Selling were reduced to this that the Merchant who is supposed to know the value of his Goods would neither ask nor take more than the true worth albeit a Fool or Child were enquiring after them and that the Buyer if meeting with an ignorant and foolish Merchant should to his knowledge neither offer nor give less than the true avail without respect to the Price asked and evite that sin of taking the advantage of such as sells within the worth either through folly or through Strait and Poverty the first whereof is indeed sinful but the last of taking advantage of any under the necessity of selling their Goods is direct Robbery of the worst kind being off the Poor who are specially under Gods protection 64. It has been and is too much the Custom for Parents in designing their Children to the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ our Lord meerly to consider it as a Trade or Imployment and with respect allanerly to their worldly maintenance which is the most sinful foolish way of disposing of them I am indeed most sensible there is no Station more honorable and desireable than that when conscienciously discharged and if it shall please God to bless you with Sons fitted for that work and who you are satisfied has a Call to engage therein consider it to be your Credit to further the same Yet I intreat you rather than design that for their maintenance breed them to the meanest of Imployments I do not mean by a Call any inward thing immediatly from God he has thought fit in the times of the Gospel since the Appostles days not to do so with men but be fully satisfied of their being in some competent measure qualified for that great Charge and that they themselves in their hearts do truly intend therein the glory of God and not only satisfie your self thereanent but advise therein with religious and judicious Friends and such Ministers as doth themselves endeavour in faithfulness to discharge that so great and excellent Station Whosoever enters therein would have much of Humility Pride and Conceitedness being almost inconsistent with Grace Learning Prudence and strength of Reason is most desireable and some good degree thereof is altogether necessar but surely Humility and serious depending upon God for strength in the discharge of that great Work is absolutly required I could my self much rather be subject to the Ministry of one truly humble and serious than of one being otherways and of the greatest of Parts and Learning Indeed where they are together they are an excelling Ornament and much to be desired but this Age from their Corruption does so little intend God's glory in designing persons for that Work as the Converse of too many therein does sometimes speak their want of respect to moral Vertues and very often Conceit joyned with want of Parts and Learning and what else does very much unfit them for the discharge of the Duties in that Station 65. Be careful that your Daughters be accustomed to the doing of what is Vertuous so soon as they come to any Years of Discretion let them be bred to what is suitable to your Station and see to it that their time be not wasted in that Breeding that tends not to Vertue whereof there are but too many Instances in almost Persons of every Quality It is not my design to condescend too particularly in any part of my Advice to you expecting your own Discretion and Experience will supply that Want yet can I not forbear to say something of Dancing upon which to have it taught to their Children Parents do's so wastefully imploy so much of Young-ones time I shall not be peremptor in determining against those that moderatly use it you will find from History it hath been practised by Great Men who lived moral and vertuous Lives yea from Scripture we find it to have been the practice of the Godly even in their worshipping God to express their rejoicing and thankfulness of heart in that Behaviour as in 2 Sam. 6.14 David danced before the Lord with all his might and when God in Jer. 31.13 is by His Prophet promising to His People that He will bless them saith Then shall the Virgin rejoyce in the Dance c. Yet as it is now used it is but little allowable I know it is generally pretended to be only for procuring to Young-ones a suitable Carriage in the behaviour of their Bodies but beware the immoderate use thereof bring them not to such a Behaviour as that they thereby come under the Curse pronounced Isa 3.16 Moreover the Lord saith because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing is they go therefore will he smite them with a Scab c. And albeit my Experience be inconsiderable yet can I positively say that I have observed the Consequences of wasting of time in Learning that so empty foolish and not truly term'd Qualification to be fatal to the Credit and otherways the well-being of those who so much practise it If their Health permit let them not lie in the Morning and as their first Work ought to be their performing the Duties required of them as Christians so throughout the day let them evite Idleness it being the nursery of Sin A cheerful and free manner of Conversation is desirable in every person yet is it altogether fitting that Young-women have joined with it a modest Reservedness for too much freedom in converse amongst Young-men and Young-women is often attended with stains to their Reputation which they would by a modest and gracious Conversation greatly endeavour to acquire and retain and especially they would beware of any thing tending to too much freedom with such as are not of their own Degree and Quality And as a modest reservedness in their Behaviour even in all their Converse is becoming their Sex so a decent and becoming Gravity is desirable in their Attire It were indeed an unallowable Morosity not to grant that Young-women ought to have a neatness answerable to their Quality for it is truly decent to behold it in young ones of that Sex but endeavour that the doing of it have too much neither of their heart nor their time and as all our Actions ought to have anâ— honest end so ye would often mind them that what they do therein be neither to satisfie their own Pride nor to stir up unsuitable Affections in others But ye would consider that your Children being educate in God's Fear is the only way to bring them to a true sense of their Duty towards God and Man you are therefore by your Example and Precept to perswade them to a Christian Walk we have God's positive Command for this Deut. 6.6 7. And theâ— words which I command thee this day
God you may with all your strength endeavour I have reason to fear that my corrupt wretched heart may not in my Directions to you have had the sole prospect of His Glory in your eternal Well-being and the vain Imaginations thereof in what I do may justly provoke to His keeping back His Blessing upon my Endeavours to your doing of Duty which I pray my good God in His Mercy may avert and I earnestly intreat you may so walk as you be not an Offence to the professing the Name of Christ for my Endeavours in relation to you howbeit faint and frail will tend to your advantage if you seriously mind them and seek of God strength enabling you to live up to Duty in your Station and if this you do not my heart is afraid you will thereby provoke God to leave you to your self and they will witness against you to your eternal undoing I did in the end of the last Sheets I wrot to you send you the Double of some Apothegms and short Sayings but want of time and the Paper I wrot upon having failed I have herein sent you some that I have found written by several Persons and albeit you may consider that your having them to read being printed might have spared my Labour yet being what of Sayings of that kind I judged fittest to be under your consideration I have been at the pains of writing them and of contracting some of them and of altering others thereof which makes me expect you will so peruse them as to imprint the same upon your Memory 12. It is a never failing Rule of decerning a man to be in the state of Grace when he finds every thing that befalls him draws him nearer to God 13. We may safely expect God in His ways of Mercy when we are in His ways of Obedience 14. We do truly honour God when we see nothing for us but rather all things contrary to what we look for than to shut our eyes to all inferior things and to look altogether to His All-sufficiency 15. In what we are called to we ought to do our own Work and depend upon God for Success Diligence in what is required of us and trust in Him is only our Duty Let us then with cheerfulness perform our part and our Merciful God will beyond all doubting in His own due time make the Event our advantage and comfort 16. It is folly to think that we should have Physick and Health both at once God's time is the best time resolve therefore your waiting upon it after a weary Week comes a Sabbath and after Fight comes Victory 17. It is an evidence of true trust when we can wait God's time and not make haste 18. A man can be in no Condition wherein God cannot Supply if Comforts be wanting He can Creat them not only out of nothing but even make Afflictions the cause of Comfort 19. The only way to have our Will is to bring it to God's Will No Sin but is easier kept out then cast out 20. What we are afraid to do before Men we should be afraid to think before God 21. The humble and thankful acknowledgement of the Goodness of God in His several Dispensations is advantagious for such as retain the memory of Mercies seldom loses the sight of them 22. He that cannot abound without Pride is unable to suffer Want without too much dejection 23. The frequent meditating upon the certainty of Death will stir up so to live as the horrour thereof will be found swallowed up in the Death and Sufferings of our Blessed Saviour 24. If you would have God hear your Prayers do you hear the Requests of the Needy 25. He that carelesly regards the misfortunes of other Men ought not to think it strange if others look upon his Misfortunes without Compassion 26. Prosperity makes others know what we are and Adversity makes us know who are our true Friends 27. If you do not easily bear with the failings of others ye will render your own failings unsufferable 28. He that will not know his Friends in his Prosperity deserves to meet with none in his Misery 29. He that boasts of his good Qualities loses the merit of them by his Pride and he that hides them adds to their Esteem by his Modesty 30. Temperance and Exercise are the best means of Health 31. An able Cook is as much to be feared in time of Health as an ignorant Physician in time of Sickness 32. Flatter not thy self in thy Faith to God if thou wantest Charity for thy Neighbour and think not thou hast Charity for thy Neighbour if thou wantest Faith to God where they are not both together they are both wanting and both are dead if once divided 33. If thou hope to please all thy Hopes are vain if thou fears to displease some thy fears are idle the way to please thy self is not to displease the best and the way to displease the best is to please the most if thou canst fashion thy self to please all thou shalt displease Him that is all in all 34. If thou hast any Business of Consequence in agitation let thy care be reasonable and seasonable continual standing Bent weakens the Bow too hastie drawing breaks it put off thy Cares with thy Cloaths so shall thy Rest strengthen thy Labour and so shall thy Labour sweeten thy Rest 35. If thou desire not to be too poor desire not to be too Rich he is Rich not that possesses much but he that covets no more and he is not poor that enjoys little but he that wants too much the contented Mind wants nothing which it hath not the covetous mind wants not only not what it hath not but likewise what it hath 36. If thou desire that unestimable grace of saving Faith detest that insatiable Vice of damnable Covetousness It is impossible a heart though never so double should lodge both Faith possesses thee of what thou hast not Covetousness disposesses thee of what thou hast thou canst not serve God unless Mammon serve thee 37. If any hard Affliction hath surprized thee cast one Eye upon the hand that sent it and the other upon the Sin that brought it if thou thankfully receive the Message he that sent it will discharge the Messenger 38. Trust not the Promise of a common Swearer for he that dars sin against his God for neither Profite nor Pleasure will trespass against thee for his own Advantage 39. So use Prosperity as Adversity may not abuse thee if in the one Security admits no fears in the other Dispair will afford no hopes he that in Prosperity can foretell a Danger can in Adversity foresee Deliverance 40. If thy Faith hath no doubts thou hast just cause to doubt thy Faith and if thy doubts have no hope thou hast just reason to fear Dispair when therefore thy Doubts shall exercise thy Faith keep thy Hopes firm to qualifie thy Doubts so shall thy Faith be secured from Doubts so
shall thy Doubts be preserved from Despair 41. If thou stand guilty of Oppression or wrongfully possessed of anothers Right see thou make Restitution before thou givest an Alms if otherways what are thou but a Thief and makest God thy Receiver 42 When thou prayest for spiritual Graces let thy Prayer be absolute when for temporal Blessings add a Clause of God's pleasure in both with Faith and Humiliation so shalt thou undoubtedly receive what thou desirest or more or better never Prayer rightly made was made unheard or heard ungranted 43. Not to give to the Poor is to take from him not to feed the hungry if thou hast it is the outmost of thy power to kill him that therefore thou mayest avoid both Sacriledge and Murder be charitable 44. So often as thou rememberest thy sin without grief so often thou repeatest these sins for not grieving 45. In thy Apparrel avoid Singularity Profuseness and Gaudiness be not too early in the Fashon nor too late Decencie is the half way between Affectation and Neglect the Body is the Shell of the Soul Apparel is the Husk of that Shell and the Husk often tells you what the Kernel is 46. Be not Censorious for thou knowest not whom thou judgest it is a more dextrous Errour to speak well of an evil man than evil of a good man and safer for thy Judgment to be misted by simple Charity then uncharitable Wisdom he may tax others with Priviledge that hath not in himself what others may tax 47. If thou canst desire any thing not to be repented of thou art in a fair way to Happiness if thou hast attained it thou art at thy ways end He is not happy who hath all if it were possible that he desires but that desires nothing but what is good 48. Hath any wronged thee be bravely revenged slight it and the work is begun for give it and it is finisht he is below himself that is not above an injury 49. Deride not him whom the looser Worlâ— calls Puritan lest thou offend a little one 〈◊〉 he be a Hypocrite God that knows him will râ—ward him if zealous God that loves him wâ—â—â— revenge him if he be good he is good to God Glory if he be evil let him be evil at his oâ—â— Charges He that judges shall be judged 50. As thou desirest the love of God and Man beware of Pride it is a Tumor in thy Mind that breaks and poysons all thy Actions is is a Worm in thy Treasure which eats and ruines thy Estate it loves no man is beloved of no man it is the friend of the Flatterer the mother of Envy the Nurse of Fury the Bawd of Luxury the Sin of Devils and the Devil in Mankind it hates Superiors it scorns Inferiors it owns no Equals in short till thou hate it God hates thee 51. Beware of Drunkenness lest all good Men beware of thee where Drunkenness reigns there Reason is an Exul Vertue a Stranger and God an Enemy 52. Take no pleasure in the folly of an Idiot nor in the frenzie of a Lunatick nor in the extravagancies of a Drunkard make them the Object of thâ— Pity not of thy Pastime when thou beholdest them behold how thou art beholding to Him that suffered thee not to be like them there is no difference between thee and them but God's favour 53. Use Law and Physick only for necessity they that use them otherways abuse themselves into weak Bodies and light Purses they are good Remedies bad Business and worse Recreations 54. In every relative Action change Conditions with thy Brother then ask thy Conscience what thou would'st have done to the being truly resolved exchange again and do thou the like to him and thy Charity shall seldom or never err it is injustice to do what without Impatience thou canst not 〈◊〉 55. Things temporal are sweeter in the expectation Things 〈◊〉 are sweeter in the fruition the first shames thy Hope the second crowns it it is a vain Journy whose end affords less pleasure then the way 56. If thy words be Luxuriant confine them lest they confine the he that thinks he can never speak enough may easily speak too muchâ— a full Tongue and an empty Brain are seldom parted 57. Of all Vices take heed of Drunkenness other Vices make their own way this make way for all Vices he that is a Drunkard is qualified for every evil 58. Let the words of a Virgin though inâ— good Cause and to as good purpose be neitheâ— violent many nor first nor last it is less shamâ—â— For a Virgin to be lost in a blushing silence theâ—â— to be found in a bold Eloquence 59. If thou hast but little make it not leâ—â— by murmuring if thou hast enough make 〈◊〉 not too much by unthankfulness he that is nâ—â— thankfully contented with the least favour 〈◊〉 hath received hath made himself uncapable of the least favour he can receive 60. Dost thou want things necessar grumbâ—â— not perchance it was a necessar thing thâ—â— shouldst want them endeavour lawfully to suppâ—â— it if God bless not thy Endeavour Bless hâ—â— that knoweth what is fittest for thee thou 〈◊〉 God's Patient prescribe not the Physician 61. Look upon thy Affliction as thou usestâ— do upon thy Physician both imply a Diseaâ—â— and both are applyed for a Cure that of the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 if they work they promise 〈◊〉 if not they threaten Death he 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 not afflicted but he that findâ— happiness by his Affliction 62. Many times when we are in heavy Affliction and â—â—sperate of all outward Means our Faâ—â—â— is more strong then afterwards when Goâ—â—â—â—th mercifully delivered yea so far doth the Devil prevail upon the heart of wretched man wiâ—â—â—st in any pleasing Prosperity that in the day of his Accounts it will at least often be found that his Troubles have been his greatest Mercies 63. It is good to suffer twice before one complain once for those that often though justly complain come with disadvantage especially iâ— it be to a Party who from the too common Infirmitâ— incident to Mankind is ready to determine persons under straitâ—â—ing Circumstances to be â—â—â—lish if not worse as they are ready to overprize the Actions of the worldly prosperous 64. He that desires but what he may may have â—hat he desires therefore he that is sparing in his desires may have Pâ—enty even in a moderate â—state FINIS Dear THEOPHILUS YOu may remember that in our discoursing together some Weeks since we considered that Love was the great Duty required of Man and the Apostle having said 1 Joh. 4.7 Let us love one another for love is of God yea our Blessed Lord in the Evangelist Joh. 13.35 Declares that By this shall all men know such to be his Disciples as have love one to another And having said in Mat. 22.37 38. That the First and Great Commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul And the