thy Servant O blessed Jesus thy Disciple and Follower O be thou my Prince and my Saviour be thou my strength and my glory and let me rejoyce always in thy Salvation I desire to imitate thee O holy Jesus and especially thy boundless Charity I forgive O let me find forgiveness from the mercy of God I am ready to do all the good I can for any one of my fellow Members and I am sorry I can do no more I will weep I will pray for all that are in distress and I will feed and clothe and comfort them as I can O accept then the mite of thy poor servant and remember me in the day of Judgment Grant O God according to the riches of thy glory that all we who receive the Sacrament this day may be strengthned by the might of thy Spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith that we being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we may be filled with all the fulness of God Nor for our selves only do I bow my knees unto thee thou Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named but also for the whole Catholick Church O let the same presence and powerâ— of thy Spirit be amongst all those who believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ their Lord and ours build them up in their holy faith unite them in humility and love remove all the scandals and obstacles of righteousness that are in the midst of thy Church and support and protect it against all the Adversaries of the Cross and all the Enemies of holiness and vertue Let thy Son Jesus be glorified in the blameless and exemplary Lives of all that profess his Name let profaneness be put to confusion and Here sie and Errour be rooted out and let all with one mind and one mouth glorifie thee O God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Amen O thou in whose hands are the hearts of Kings guide we beseech thee theirs whom thou hast set over us in thy faith and fear give them wisdom to rule this great People that under them we may live peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty and Lord possess all their Subjects with a due sense of their Authority and of the benefits we all reap from them that we may dutifully obey them and cheerfully contribute all we can to the maintainance and support of Law and Justice in this Realm that Righteousness and Peace may through thy blessing flourish amongst us and our Children after us through Jesus Christ our Lord. O merciful God and Saviour cause all them that sleep in sin to awake cause them to arise from the dead and let Christ give them light O thou God of tender mercies and compassions hearken to the voice of them that mourn break not the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax but bring forth righteousness unto victory O God who art the God of the fatherless and widow and judge of the oppressed and the Saviour of the meek and poor and distressed upon the earth visit with thy grace and salvation all that are in necessity or tribulation and hear them when they cry unto thee for succour O Lord our Defence O bless my Family and all my Relations possess them with the fear of God and Charity towards one another and make them all love the Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be glory for ever O my God never suffer me to forget thy love or the love of Jesus never suffer me to break my holy Vows but strengthen me that I may always endeavour to walk as my Lord walked and may ever abide in him and he in me that I may be safe through thy protection and grace and when he who is my life shall appear I also may appear with him in glory Amen Amen Go home with a cheerful gravity and spend the remaining part of the day according to the Rule for the Lord's day only be more strictly careful to keep up a holy frame of mind and not by worldly thoughts and light discourse grieve the holy Spirit but improve every good inclination by Prayer that it may grow into practise and endeavour your good Resolutions by meditation and foreseeing what temptations may assault you to provide against them do not go abroad but spend that day in devotion reading and praying with your Family Of behaviour at Baptism and Marriage WHen you are present at the Baptising of Children attend to what is said let it put you in mind of what you vowed your self and think how well you have performed it joyn with great seriousness in Prayer with the Minister for the Child that it may live sutable to this dedication and enjoy the priviledges of the same If you are a Surety think your self obliged to take care that the Child learn what you undertook for it for that was the reason of God-fathers and God-mothers especially if the Parents die or are careless worldlings otherwise refuse being a Surety if you think you cannot Also at Marriages Churchings and the like avoid all vain behaviour but joyn in the Service with Reverence and Devotion and make particular applications to your self how you have performed your own duty when the Bannes are bid pray that the marriage may be to the glory of God These are some short Directions for your duty to God I shall now add some for your duty to your Neighbours CHAP. IV. The Country Man's Duty towards his Neighbour SECT I. To his Minister FIrst for your behaviour to your Minister be very just in paying Tithes and other Dues to him Duty to Ministers Mal. 2.7 Isa 30.20 Hebr. 13.17 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Cor. 6.7 9.7 8 9 11 13 14. Rom. 15 27. Gal. 6.6 Matth. 10.41 10.14 15. Luke 10.16 1 Cor. 4.1 1 Thess 12.13 and that in obedience to God who has taught us by his holy Apostle That they who wait at the Altar that is do the duty of a Minister should live by the Altar and if they minister to us spiritual things we ought to minister to them in temporal things for by attending the Ministry they are made incapable of gaining a livelyhood by other means Secondly Be very respectful in your behaviour to him never speaking rudely but believe in honouring your Minister you please God and let not any personal failing make you neglect your Duty for 't is not his person only but chiefly his office you must respect him for and God will reward you for it Supposing the worst that he has faults consider that he as well as you is liable to the same infirmities and temptations nay more for Satan is vigilant to ensnare him because by it he hopes to do more mischief either by
blessing such Maids need not fear getting an honest Service and are fitted to make good Wives when their Parents think fit be especially careful to prevent fondness in your Daughters and Maids and often set before them the monstrous deformity of an immodest Woman and the great Beauty and Prudence of a chast modest humble Maid As your Daughter ought not to marry without your consent so do not constrain her where she has an aversion nor cross her Affection too much if the Man is sober and honest While at your work in the House or Field be often saying some profitable thing causing your Children to repeat what they have learnt by heart and instead of idle Ballads let them learn Psalms to sing at their work so shall your House be a little Temple of God and a Blessing accompany all your Labour and make you both happy and contented here and dispose you for Eternal Happiness in the World to come which is so great a Hope that nothing but sad Experience could make one think it possible that they that pretend to believe the Truth of Eternal Glory and Happiness can be so miserably negligent in the pursuit of and endeavours after it Having in the fore-going Directions often Exhorted you to think of God and entertain holy Meditations and Ejaculations at your work I will here give you some few Examples not to use in a set formal manner but for the direction and quickning to inlarge as your Devotion directs Meditations and Ejaculations proper for several Occasions IN a Morning when you find your Cattle well or have hopes of seasonable Weather admire God's goodness and look not on these Blessings as the Course of Nature or what you have a right to but as the immediate gift of God and as if they were newly bestowed on you and say in your heart Lord I thank thee for all thy gifts it is thy bounty that first gave them and the same bounty preserve them O give me grace to use them to thy glory that I may never abuse them to sin or vanity to dishonour thee or hurt my Neighbour but be a faithful Steward of all those Talents committed to my charge that so I may find Mercy in the Day of our Lord. If your Cattle is sick or die or the Weather unseasonable consider it is the Mercy of God that you lose not all or that you had not such losses sooner for should he withdraw his protection you might be by the malice of the Devil who hates all those that serve God reduced to the condition of Job and let such Accidents convince you of the great necessity of God's Blessing and how vain all your labour or care is without it not being able to cause a fair day when you want it or restore a poor Beast to health here you may thus meditate Lord thy will be done giving or taking what thou hast given thy Name be blest I thank thee for all thy past Mercies and submit to my present losses sanctifie them to my profit my sins deserve worse punishments whatever thou recallest let it not be any degree of grace or thy favour for so long as I am thy reconcil'd Child I cannot be miserable but without thy love I am most wretched could I possess the whole World for what shall it profit to gain the whole World and lose my Soul When you begin a new work dedicate it to God and say Lord I desire to do all to thy glory all for thy love and in obedience to thy will bless this my labour that it may prosper and grant that I may first seek thy Kingdom and its Righteousness and have such a portion of Temporal Blessings as thou seest best for me If you are sick or in pain look on it as sent from God and submit to it saying Lord keep me from sin the worst of evils the more the Outward man is afflicted the more I beg thy grace to support my Spirit with Faith and Patience When you hear talk of Wars and Trouble in Church or State or are sad at the thoughts of Divisions among Christians Remember that God is infinite in goodness wisdom and power and will bring good out of all When you find your self affected with these Thoughts retire to pray for your fellow Creatures or at least at your work sometimes lift up your heart to God to pray that he would enlighten all Mankind that they may both believe and obey the Gospel that he would unite the Divisions among Christians and reform whatever he found amiss in their Belief and Practice that all Christian People might have a true Christian Spirit a Spirit of Love and Charity proving their Discipleship by their Love to one another that so God might be worshipped in Spirit and Truth to his glory and their salvation When you lye under any Temptations say to this effect Lord let thy power be magnified in my weakness suffer me not to be tempted above my strength take away the Temptation or enable me to resist and overcome it Before you read the holy Scripture pray that God would assist you with his enlightning grace that so your Faith may rest not on the Wisdom of Men but on the Power of God that you may rightly understand and faithfully practise what you know that so obeying the Commands you may inherit the Promises of the Gospel and that the steadfast belief of God's Word may be your Comfort and Support against all Temptations of the World the Devil or your own Corruptions Before you go into company or before you reprove or advise any think how you may do most good and best please God say Lord be present with me sanctifie my Heart and Tongue which I dedicate to thee and give me both courage and wisdom to speak in due season for thy glory and my Neighbours good and let thy Spirit both assist me and supply my defects by its powerful working on the heart of my Neighbour As you sow your Ground you may from thence draw a Meditation of Death and Resurrection of the necessity of grace and good works for as you must do your part to manure the Grounds and sow the Seed and you expect seasonable Weather to make it bring forth so must you do your endeavours to prepare your heart to receive the grace of God and by Prayer to procure his blessed Spirit by which aid alone you are enabled to do the will of God Lord as without thy blessing all my labour is in vain so if thy grace does not assist me I am all weakness O pity thy poor Creature the work of thy hands and both sow the Seed of true Faith in my heart and water it with thy grace that it may bring forth the Fruits of a Holy Life When you see Harvest getting in you may meditate to this effect O Lord grant that I may be as a fruitful Field ready for Harvest that so when Death or Judgment comes I may rejoyce and not mourn that my work being done I shall ever rest not only from labour but from sin and be perfect in loving and serving God If you hear profane People talk or are tempted to doubt in any point of Faith say Lord I believe help my unbelief I believe and am sure that thy Word is most true and that my doubts are only the effects of my own weakness Lord I believe whatever thou hast revealed I renounce all my Errours and beg thou wilt either pardon my ignorant Mistakes or give me light to discover and forsake them thy Word is perfect I believe and desire to obey it If you see any in a mean or miserable condition think of God's goodness to you and say Who is it that made me to differ and what have I that I have not received and if I have received it why do I glory as if I had not received it let my Brother's misery make me thankful to God and charitable to him that he be not tempted to envy my Prosperity If you find your self inclined to discontent say Lord it is enough for me that I may but love thee and be loved by thee Shall I complain of an ill Nights lodging in an Inn when I shall soon be at my Fathers House and have there as large a share of glory and happiness as my Soul is capable of How can I be more honourable than to be a Child of God who is Lord of Heaven and Earth How can I be richer than to have peace here and glory hereafter Let me instead of murmuring admire the great goodness of my heavenly Father and rejoice in my Neighbour's Happiness for in Heaven no one envies another but is made more happy by the Felicity of the rest FINIS
The Plain Man's Guide to Heaven containing first his Duty towards God secondly towards his Neighbour with proper Prayers Meditations and Ejaculations designed chiefly for the Country-man Trades-man Labourer and such like in Twelves 1692. Pr. 1 s. A Sermon conterning Publick Worship preached before the Queen at Whiteball on Wednesday the 23d of March 1692. By Thomas Manningham D.D. Chaplain in Ordinary to their Majesties and Rector of St. Andrew Holborn A Sermon preached at the Consecration of the Right Reverend Father in God Thomas Lord Bishop of Lincoln In Lambeth Chappel Jan. 10. 1692. By Willam Stanley D. D. Clerk of the Closet to her Majesty THE Plain Man's GUIDE TO HEAVEN CHAP. I. The Country-Man and Trades-Man's daily Duty and Devotion I Will not here set down any Hour for your rising but suppose you allow no more time for sleep then serves to preserve your health and refresh your weariness otherwise your Temporal as well as Spiritual Duties will be ill performed and suffer great prejudice Only consider how to serve God first and to that end forecast to rise so early as to have time both for your self and Family to worship God before you begin your days work and be assured that this loss of sleep shall neither hurt your health nor on the other hand be a hindrance to your Labours So soon as you wake and while you are rising entertain your self with good thoughts call to mind the mercies of God to you your being kept in safety the past Night and your Family from sudden Death Fire Robbers and the like Think what Temptations you may that day meet with especially to drinking or over-reaching your Neighbour in buying and selling and arm your self against them and what opportunities of doing good and encourage your self to do it cheerfully out of obedience and love to God who will certainly reward you for it as well in this Life as that to come As soon as you have put on your Clothes kneel down and make your private Prayer to God to thank him for his mercies beg pardon for your sins with the continuance of his Grace and Protection that day which you may do in the following words or what other you like better But let not your inability to read or any other consideration cause the neglect of your worshipping God Psal 5.3 Rom. 8.26 27. Hebr. 7.25 Luk. 11.2 Chron. 29.30 Prov. 15.8 Mark 11.24 Psal 145.18 19 20. Acts 17.25 Hebr. 4.16 Prov. 28.13 John 1.1 8 9. Jer. 33.3 Psal 50.15 Numb 22.4 Psal 92.2 Mark 2.35 Matth. 6.6 Psal 55.17 Dan. 6.10 Psal 10.19 122.6 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. Thess 3.1 Ephes 4.2 but the rather make you more diligent to seek Instruction that so you may be able to offer up your Prayers from an honest heart truly sorrowful for your sins with an ardent love to God and a desire to please him and then he will except those desires and pardon such imperfections as are not wilful or through negligence always saying the Lord's Prayer which endeavour to understand in its fullest sense as you may learn from some good Catechism or Exposition A PRAYER to be used in private every Morning ALmighty God the Creator and Preserver of Mankind I worship and adore thy incomprehensible Majesty and desire that my Soul may be always filled with a devout awe and reverence for thee I acknowledge that 't is thou only who causest me to dwell in safety To thee alone I owe the supports and comforts of this Life and the hopes of a better for all which my Soul blesses thee And I thank thee O my God that thou dost cause the light of thy Sun to arise once more upon me O grant me thy Grace that I may so spend this day that it may bring me comfort in the day of the Resurrection Pardon and deliver me O merciful Father from all my sins establish and strengthen my heart in thy Faith Fear and Love Enable me to trust in thee and resign up my self to thy holy will Make me humble and contented thankful and industrious in my Calling diligent to instruct my Children and Family in the Knowledge of thee and careful to be an Example to them of Obedience to thy Commandments guide and direct me in my way bless and prosper the works of my hands prevent and restrain me from all sin this day and give me if it be thy will a quiet Life but above all a peaceful and comfortable Death through Jesus Christ our Lord. So soon as your Wife Children or what Family you have is ready call them together and so often as you can possibly spare time you will do very well to read Joh. 5.36 Rev. 1.3 2 Tim. 3.15 16. Gen. 18.19 Josh 24.1 Acts 10.2 Matth. 11.2 or cause to be read a Chapter Choose those Chapters to be read oftenest that are easie to be understood and most practical then stand up and say the Creed which is the Sum of a Christian's Faith Then all kneeling down adore and worship God in these or the like words as you best approve A Morning Family PRAYER O Gracious God and merciful Father we bless thee that thou hast refreshed and preserved us this last Night and thereby fitted us for the labour and service of this day 't is of thy goodness O Lord 't is of thy goodness that we are on this side the Grave and that the bottomless Pit has not closed her mouth upon us for we acknowledge that we have often sinned against thee provoked thee either through sottish ignorance or presumption or through neglect or contempt of thy Words and Commandments the Ox knows his owner and the Ass his Master's Crib but we have forgot thee and been unthankful to thee and in many things have acted as though we knew thee not nor considered thy goodness and the works of thy hands O pardon pardon us thou who delightest not in the death but conversion of sinners pardon us thou who hast given thy Son to be a Propitiation for our sins and sow in our hearts we beseech thee the Seed of everlasting life and grant that whatsoever we learn from thy word to be our duty we may carefully and diligently fulfil keep us this day from the commission of any thing that may wound our Consciences wrong others or provoke thee Bless the Children of this Family granting that they may grow up in thy fear increasing in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and Man Teach every Member of this Family to do their duty humbly and cheerfully as out of Conscience towards God from whom they shall receive their Reward Let Peace and Charity rule our hearts let thy Providence protect and provide for us and when thou hast carried us through the labours hardships and temptations of this life bring us into the rest and glory of a better through Jesus Christ our Lord. Take care that both your private and family Devotion be performed with reverence and
if you have far to go let your thoughts and discourse be what you have that day heard and learnt Eat and drink with thankfulness for God's goodness but let it be also with moderation that you may be fit for holy Exercises after dinner In some places Prayers begin at Three or Four a clock which time you will do well to imploy in examining your Children or Servants what they remember of the Sermon of their Catechism often tell them of the sinfulness of lying and swearing immodesty and the like If you have time sing a Psalm and after say the following Prayer Here may be used the Prayer set down before for Sunday or this WE bless thee O holy and most merciful Father for this day of rest O may it kindle in us the desires of eternal rest and be made instrumental both to obtain it and prepare us for it We bless thee for the opportunity that thou hast given us of joyning this day with our fellow Christians in the publick Worship of thee our God Lord pardon whatever defects we have been guilty of in the performance of it and grant that we may renew it this Afternoon with that cheerfulness and devoutness with that sense of thy goodnesss and our wants as may render it acceptable to thee and profitable to us We bless thee again O Lord for the publick preaching of thy Word and Administration of thy Sacraments and beseech thee that thy grace may accompany both through the whole Nation and particularly for our selves we beg that thou wouldst so assist us that thy Word may ever be a light to our feet and a lanthorn to our paths and that thy holy Sacraments may nourish and strengthen us in faith and love Let our examination of our selves O Lord be serious and impartial let our meditation be affectionate and delightful let our conversation be pure and holy that there may be nothing thought said or done by us this day but what may best serve promote the end for which thou hast instituted it and good God make every one of us diligent not only to save our own Souls but as much as in us lyes the Souls of others too Finally O thou Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be thou present in our publick Assembly and build thou up our Family in faith and vertue and speak thou to every one of our hearts in private and hear all our Prayers and accept all our Praises and continue to us all that is necessary to life and godliness and crown us at last with everlasting glory All which we humbly beg through our great and only Mediator and Advocate Christ Jesus But if Prayers begin early and you have less time do so much as you can not omitting the Prayer be careful to be at the beginning of publick Service do not neglect the Church because there is no Sermon by Prayer we worship God and obtain his blessing besides there is read the holy Scripture which is the best Instruction and foundation of all Sermons Be careful to fit your Children and Servants for Catechising and have them present when it is performed in publick After you return home so soon as your necessary business is over read or cause to be read some good practical Book and if you did not do it before examine and instruct your Children and Servants sing Psalms make your Evening Prayer and in these imployments spend your Evening till Bed-time only allowing time for a cheerful temperate Supper which you will eat with great comfort after so well spending the day you must not omit your private Prayers only enlarge your Praises To which end call to mind the many Mercies you have received and your unworthiness of them by reason of your sins and compare your selves with those below you who are perhaps more worthy but if you want all other blessings yet consider how great your happiness is in being a Christian and so capable if not your own fault of heavenly glory which incomparably exceeds the greatest temporal felicity I do not here allow any time for gossiping Visits because the greatest part of Country People are apt to waste the Afternoon in such things but yet I am by no means so severe as to forbid a walk in the Fields or a friendly visit to a Neighbour for an hours refreshment to those whose necessary business allows time enough for both especially if that Neighbour is sick or under any affliction but then you must not spend your time in idle talk making bargains or other worldly business but in good and useful Discourses And those Neighbours that will not endure this but promote drinking swearing or the like profaneness are by no means to be visited on that day that is sanctified to the Service of God and Spiritual Promise And indeed if you consider as you ought the great advantage of being obliged to spend one day in seven in holy Duties you would not be weary of its so frequent return but thank God for so profitable an Institution since I fear were the observation of this day left to every ones choice the love of profit or pleasure would prevail with too many to neglect it and so occasion ignorance and profaneness to prevail more then it does The inconvenience of the Sabbaths being neglected and the advantages of its observation are so many especially to the more unlearned that no true lover of Piety that desires the publick good ought by any means to encourage the Contemners of it SECT II. Of Holy Days or Fast Days THE use of other Festival days or Holy days is that People may have more leisure and opportunity to serve God and to keep in memory the History of the New Testament as the Birth Suffering Resurrection Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Apostles days are to thank God for the Doctrine they preached and writ and to encourage us to the imitation of their holy Examples There are also days of Thanksgiving for National Blessings and the Fasting days are to consider and lament your own sins and also those of the Nation especially in times of War or other publick Calamity and to pray for the averting those Judgments which our sins deserve some of these I think are the subject of all Holy days which is also reasonable upon another account the giving Servants and Labourers time first to serve God and next for innocent refreshment and doing their own business It is not out of any Superstition that the observation of these days is recommended for what Superstition can it be to read pray and serve God as frequently as our business will admit I do not say it is a Command from God and therefore do not command but commend their observation And since such days are appointed and Service in the Church ordered if we prefer these before days of our own choosing it will keep greater order and all Families being imployed in the Service of God not hinder one the
you can spare imploy in reading good Books Prayer and Meditation the Friday or Saturday before the Communion keep as a Fast but if by reason of your labour you find your strength will not hold out eat a piece of bread and drink a cup of beer in the Morning or at Noon and eat your Supper with thankfulness as at other times and on the day imploy an hour or two in Examination and humble Confession of all your sins with earnest Supplication for Pardon through the Merits of Christ Jesus to which purpose use the following Form or the like enlarging according to your own particular case A general Confession of Sin O God who art light and in whom is no darkness at all with whom we can maintain no communion unless we walk in the light as thou art in the light O God who though thou art merciful and gracious to Penitents art a holy and a just God too and would by no means acquit the guilty and impenitent I present my self before thee at this time with an earnest desire to confess and bewail my past sins and to renew my Vows and Resolutions of forsaking them that I may find mercy When I look back upon all the parts of my past life Ah how do I find it defil'd and polluted by negligence and folly by wilfulness and presumption Ah how often hast thou called and I have refused how often have I set at nought thy counsel and would none of thy reproof Ah how long have I resisted thy Spirit slighted thy Promises and hardned my self against all the terrours of God Ah how often have I broke my solemn Vows and Covenant and returned to the same pollutions which I had before endeavoured to wash off by tears and prayers Lord when I call to mind Here mention your particular sin such especially as are most provoking my heart would fail me and I should sink under the weight of shame and despair did not thy Gospel raise and revive me I believe thy mercy infinite as thy Majesty O extend that mercy to me a miserable sinner who stand in need of mercy not less then infinite I believe that thine only Son the Son of thy bosom offered up himself a Sacrifice for sin O let my Soul be cleansed by his most precious Blood and let not my sins be imputed to me I repent O my God and do heartily wish that these my sins had never been committed But ah that cannot be I am ready therefore to do all that I can and this is that thou hast promised to accept through our Mediator to be sorry for and renounce my sin To thee belongs the glory of mercy and forgiveness to me belongs humility and sorrow And O! may this be my business and my delight too during the time of my pilgrimage I will no more hereafter seek my profit or my pleasure my ease or my revenge poverty of spirit meekness purity of heart mourning for sin hunger and thirst after righteousness charity and self-denial these are the things I will follow after practise and delight in this is that I will account my blessedness And whatever I have done to any by word or deed by example or any other way if there remain yet any restitution or reparation to be made I am ready and willing O my God to do it the business of my following life shall be by all the ways and means I can to blot out the remembrance of my past Offences and to advance the glory of God and the good of Man and after all I desire to glory only in the Lord to be clothed with humility and acknowledge my self an unprofitable servant and great sinner and O do thou pardon and deliver me from my sins and confirm and strengthen me in all goodness and bring me to everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. On Saturday be very careful of your Conversation that you quench not the Spirit by vain pleasures or too much wordly care Be much in singing Psalms at your work with devout Meditations If you go to Market come home as soon as you can possibly and be sure not to loose your time in an Ale-house If you work at home leave off two hours sooner then you are wont to do spend that time in reading and prayer for the assistance of God's grace and holy Spirit to enable you to subdue your sins and perfect your graces especially those you find most defective and that you may be led unto the ways of holiness and eternal happiness also that you may be a worthy partaker of the holy Sacrament and that God would make it effectual to those ends Then look over your Examination and if you find your Conscience troubled go to the Minister or some pious Friend and rest not under Doubts that may be so easily cured A Prayer for Grace according to the foregoing Heads O Eternal God the giver of all spiritual grace and the Author of everlasting life thou art pleased to call and invite me by thy Word and by thy Ministers to the Communion of the most holy and comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of my dear Lord I come therefore but I come with reverence and humility not trusting in my own righteousness but thy mercy I am unworthy of any Temporal blessing how much more of the gift of thy Son and thy Spirit but 't is thy good will 't is thy free bounty to bestow grace and everlasting life upon all those that seek it through the merits and mediation of thy Son Jesus grant therefore to me most gracious God that I may be made partaker of all the benefits of his Passion let me be strengthned in Faith let my love of thee and of my dear Lord be inlarged and let the love of my Neighbour dwell plentifully in me give me humility and patience enable me more and more to mortifie all the remains of my Corruption and make me more fervent and stedfast in thy Service Especially grant that I may diligently labour after Here mention such particular Vertues as you need above others and never give over till I find my Soul possessed by them and transformed from glory And O blessed God who has begun a good work in me do thou finish and compleat it and preserve me by thy power through faith unto salvation that I cleaving constantly unto thee and never stray from the faith and obedience of the Gospel unto my lives end may be filled with peace and joy in the holy Ghost and at last obtain remission of my sins and an inheritance of glory with all those that are sanctified through faith in Jesus All which I beg through the Agonies and Passion through the Merits and Intercession of our Eternal High Priest Christ Jesus On Sunday rise as early or earlier then on other days add to your usual or private Prayers Petitions for the Spirit of God spiritual union and communion with Christ a new Nature and sincere Obedience Read
end do not neglect to have them all present when you pray and read to your Wife and Children at least Morning and Night See they say their own Prayers daily Gen. 18.18 19. Josh 24.15 Psal 101.9 10. Lev. 25.49 Ephes 6.9 Coloss 4.1 1 Tim. 5.8 Job 31.13 14. and call on them to spend the Lord's day and other leisure times in reading and learning their Catechise If they cannot read encourage them to ask you Questions as they are at work with you and convince them of the great comfort of knowing and doing their duty And since they cannot read if they will not attend to Instruction they must be wilfully ignorant of the means of their Salvation which is a damnable sin Indeed it is a great shame that any that live in a Christian Country should be so ignorant as I fear many amongst us are Call on them to hear Sermons and let them miss no opportunity of publick Worship when you can spare them If they are subject to swear or lie to be drunk or talk immodestly admonish them gravely and sharply but if they reform not speedily turn them away and let not any worldly consideration tempt you to keep them for if you do your Children are in danger of being infected with such ill Examples and you bring a Curse on your Family Potiphar's House was blessed for Joseph's sake how know you but yours may be less prosperous for a wicked Servant therefore when you have good ones prize them much and use them kindly Next their Duty to God keep to the duty of their Service allow them convenient rest and wholsome food but do not indulge them in idleness nor careless trifling in their work but keep them to a full Employment and see they follow it diligently and do it with as great perfection as they can It is far better to allow them now and then an hour of recreation then to let them go on in a slothful way though they always seem employed keep them to their work while at it and then if they have spare time they may do something for themselves Do not suffer your Servant to be rude and surly to your Children Neighbours or Strangers Good manners is a good preparative for Religion and we see where People are least civilized how Ignorance Cruelty and Ill-nature renders them almost barbarous therefore be often telling your Children and Servants how commendable a thing it is to be gentle and affable always ready to do a good Office give good words and pay respect to their betters I recommend this the more earnestly because it is so common a fault among those of that rank to be rude to their Superiours and often to bear a secret envy and hate to those above them and be so morose as not to give a civil Answer or tell the way to one in distress Avoid such faults and believe me by your mild and kind behaviour you will find love and many other kindnesses Suffer not your Servants to be with such as are vicious but only such as live an innocent orderly life if any have Sweet-hearts so soon as you discover it acquaint their Parents if promised by no means endeavour to break it off if they will not own their Affection yet keep Company 't is best to part them or at least often tell them of the folly of deceiving one another and the shame and danger of that abominable sin of Uncleanness Pay them quarterly their wages and give them what other reward you can afford and they deserve If your Servant marries from you let them not go away empty according to to the Precept in Deuteronomy Chap. 15.13 If they can change yours for a better Service more to their Preferment do not oppose it but trust to God's Providence and do not endeavour to obstruct the greater profit with others which you cannot afford to give them your self only if it is a disorderly wicked Family that they would go to you ought to tell them the dangers and inconveniencies and advise them against it Do not turn away your Servants for every trifle if they are such as fear God nor keep those that do not though they may do you good Service but prefer God's glory to your own benefit those you cannot reform part with SECT VI. To his Neighbours YOur Duty to your Neighbours is to be ready to do them good Offices To his Neighbours Thess 5.11 Hebr. 3.13 1 Cor. 15.23 Prov. 12.26 23.20 21. 28.19 1 Cor. 5.9 10 11. Lev. 19.7 Prov. 25.12 28.23 Ephes 5.11 advise them when they ask it to the best of your skill reprove them for their sins and follies but with so great meekness and kindness that they may see it is a sense of your duty to God and love of their Souls that puts you upon doing it therefore do it always in private Whenever you go to see your Neighbours endeavour not to part without saying something that tends either to his or your own good being as willing to learn as to teach and so encourage one another in the ways of God often talking and thinking of the blessed end of all your labour when you shall come to Heaven this will comfort your weariness and make all your troubles light Be ready also to administer comfort and help to your Neighbours temporal wants which will mightily convince them that your reproof is not out of pride or to reproach him for his faults but real Christian affection Of this sort of kindness is visiting the sick comforting the afflicted being ready to help if your Neighbour is behind hand with his Land and getting in his Harvest not that you are obliged to neglect your own Business for anothers sake but only when you are first served your self or the inconvenience you will suffer is very small and the good you can do your Neighbour is great then you ought to venture your own small danger to help your Neighbours great loss and if he should be so ungrateful to forget it God will not If you see your Neighbour's House fall under his burden help him up or his Cattel stray out of the way carry them back and avoid that ill nature of pounding his Cattel on every little slight Trespass Be very careful of your own Fences advise your Neighbour to do the like but if often warnings will do no good and his Cattle do you any considerable Dammage you may in a lawful way endeavour to be made amends but let this be done with a quiet Spirit without brawling and bitterness and if he will refer it to your Minister or some honest Neighbour go not to Law if you can avoid it but be sure do not fall into an Enmity and whatever your Adversary is be you reconciled and willing to ask and give pardon If People went to Law or Reference with such Spiritual Love only desiring what is just Differences would be much easier made up then now they are If any of your