our great End so that true Rules of Policy are no where more successfully to be sought than in that Book which contains all the wise Rules of every Imaginable Duty If these things be rightly consider'd there is no man can ever justly think himself excus'd for his Folly or Irreligion by the meanness of his Birth his Fortune or his Education there is not one Christian Servant but may prove an Epictetus or something much greater * 1 Pet. 2.9 a holy Prophet a Royal Priest He may in a word be truly wise and truly good 2 Objction want of time answer'd As to the second Objection want of time When I think upon Epictetus his Lamp and Cleanthes his Labour who wrought and earn'd by night what might maintain him in the study of Philosophy by day when I observe how indefatigable Ambition is how wakeful Covetousness how restless and obstinate all our Lusts and Passions are I cannot but blush to see how lazy our Religion is your Meals your Sleeps your Divertions your Talk and Chat for there are few Servants who spend not some portion of their days and nights in these last can lend you time for Reading and Devotion He can never want time who wants not Zeal for the Service of God But besides this I must tell you the Religion of all Christians in general if it be perfect consists more in practice than speculation and yours no less in the faithful discharge of the Duties of your place than in acts of Devotion towards God but I know how apt weak people are to run from one extream to another and therefore I will not insist longer on this Argument lest I should be thought to place the Religion of a Servant merely and solely in the Duties of his Service There are many ways by which Servants may redeem time and consecrate it to the Interest of their Souls and the Honour of God namely by exalting their minds to Heaven in frequent Ejaculations by Pious and Religious Discourses to one another by easing and assisting one another which will make the burden of the Family lie easier on all and gain time to each Having thus shew'd the Obligations Servants lie under to Religion and answer'd the little Pretences by which they endeavour to palliate their Coldness and Negligence I proceed to consider the Duties wherein their Religion towards God consists which are First such as may be called Instrumental or Relative as Prayer Hearing and Reading the Word and Receiving the Sacrament Secondly Trust in God Thirdly Contentment And Fourthly Fidelity to their Masters The Duty of Reading the Word I will begin with Reading the Word The Book of God is a Legacy of that value containing not only the Wisdom of God but the ravishing expressions of his Love too and in a word the only way to Life and Immortality that no one can be guilty of the neglect of it but at the same time he must be guilty of the most ingrateful Contempt of God and the most sottish Contempt of his own true Interest This therefore is the Book which the Servant must endeavour to be familiarly acquainted with with some portion of this he should begin the Morning and close the Evening Hence is that Wisdom to be learnt of whose manifold use * Prov. 6.22 Solomon speaks in those few but weighty words When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee No Guide no Guard no Company no Divertion is wanting to any one who is instructed as he ought to be in the Book of God Now if you would read profitably you must observe the Direction of St. Peter * 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby When you set your self to read endeavour to banish all unruly Lusts and Passions all worldly Cares and Distractions and to possess your Soul with an humble Awe and Reverence for the Word as the Word of God and with a devout thirst for it as the Word of Life Secondly Be not more fond of strong Meat than of Milk of Mysteries than of practical Truths chuse especially to read those parts of the Bible which are most plain most practical most moving and affecting Thirdly Propose this as the chief nay sole End of thy Reading that thou mayest grow thereby that is that thy Conscience may be more and more awakened that thy Resolutions of Obedience may be more and more strengthen'd that thy Heart may be more purified thy Affections more exalted and in a word thy Faith may be more confirm'd and thy Love of God thy Love of Jesus thy Love of Heaven and thy Love of Righteousness may be more and more quickned and enflam'd If your leisure will permit and you desire to joyn the reading of other Books with the Bible let 'em be but very few very plain and very practical and such if you can find 'em as concern more particularly the Duties of your station or the particular state of your Soul for 't is good Advice especially to persons in your circumstances in Spiritual as well as Temporal Affairs * 1 Thes 4.11 Study to be quiet and to do your own business The Catechism of Our Church is an excellent Abridgment of Christian Faith and Practice 't is a compleat System of all necessary Catholick Doctrines not as some others are of the Controverted Opinions of a Sect and Party I would therefore recommend this to you as being plain short and free from dispute and if well digested you will not want any necessary Instruction The same Rules The Duty of Hearing the Word with little variety are to be observed in Hearing which were prescrib'd in Reading the Word rising something the earlier on the Sunday that you may the sooner dispatch your necessary business and be the freer from any distraction retire and consider with thy self the great End to which God has dedicated that day namely to bless and praise him for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus to commemorate that his bitter Death and Passion in the Holy Sacrament to prepare our selves for a Holy Death a glorious Resurrection and a Kingdom wherein dwells Righteousness to glorifie and honour God by a solemn and publick Worship of him that so his Name may be honour'd upon Earth and finally to hear and learn his blessed Will and to be strengthened and comforted in our Warfare upon Earth by his heavenly Truths and by his great and precious Promises and then earnestly beg of God to dispose thy heart into such an humble and grateful frame that thy praises and adorations may be acceptable to him to possess thee with such a due sense of thy wants and infirmities and with such a devout thirst after the Grace of God and his Truth that thou mayest pray with a steady fervency and hear the Word with pure
and murmur'd at thy Providence been discontent in my Condition and complain'd of thy Dealings towards me 'T is true O my God that thou of thine infinite goodness hast convinc'd my Conscience of sin affected my Soul with a sorrow for it and wrought in me Resolutions of amendment but oh how many have been my falls how many and grievous have been my Relapses how negligent have I been of the Covenant of my God! Oh how soon have the tears of my Repentance dried up how soon has the flame of my Devotion and Love slackened and even gone out O God thou holy God thou Witness of all my actions and Judge of all my thoughts and affections what would become of me if thou shouldest enter into strict Judgment with me how should I stand before thy Tribunal cover'd with the guilt and shame of so many sins But O thou God of Mercy O thou God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ I know that thou art always ready to pardon poor Penitents Lord I repent increase thou my Repentance trouble has taken hold of me my Soul is cast down and disquieted within me I am asham'd yea even confounded for I do bear the Reproach of the folly and ingratitude of my sins O be thou reconciled to me pardon me I beseech thee by the Merits and Intercession by the Agony and Passion and by all the painful Sufferings of thy Son pardon me O pardon me I beseech thee by thine own boundless goodness by those tender Mercies and Compassion which thou art wont to exercise towards Repenting sinners And Lord not only pardon my sins but deliver me I beseech thee from the Dominion and Power of 'em O assist me to break off those Chains of carnal Lusts and worldly Cares in which I have been held bound I have a false deceitful heart O give me Sincerity and Truth have a sluggish and drowsie body O enkindle in me fervency of spirit I am conscious to my self of great weakness and fraily O do thou confirm and strengthen me who alone canst make me a clean heart O O God and renew a right spirit within me give me a true Faith and enflame my heart with a holy Love that I may delight my self in thy Commandments that I may walk before thee in uprightness and fear diligently seeking thee constantly depending upon thee chearfully submitting to thy Will and doing the Duty of my place in singleness of heart as knowing that I shall be accountable to thee as well for those Duties which I owe Man as for those which are more immediately to be paid to thee O Lord keep me that my foot stray not out of the path of Justice O Lord keep me that I offend not with my Tongue and after I have done all O Lord suffer me not to fall short of my Reward through my pride or ingratitude but make me always thankful always humble neither defrauding thee of the Praise due to thine infinite Bounty and Mercy nor Man of the Thanks due to him for any act of kindness or charity towards me help me O my God to walk thus that my Soul may enjoy a true Liberty that my Life may be full of comfort my Death of peace and my Eternity of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. And O my God bless not me only but this whole Family thou that art the God of Love the God of Peace sow in all our hearts the seeds of unfeigned Charity that we may all enjoy the comfort of a mutual Affection and of a mutual Assistance and Aid in our several places and Lord possess every Soul of this Family with a just sense of our Duty towards God and Man that all of us may be living Members of thy blessed Son and being protected by thy Providence directed by thy Word and assisted by the Influence of thy Spirit we may all at last meet in the Family of Heaven where we shall adore and praise thee love and enjoy thee to all Eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer for the Evening O My God my Strength and the Rock of my Salvation the Day is past and the Evening is come O give me grace to remember that this Life will one time be past and Death will come that I may live so that my work may be then finisht as 't is this day and I may have nothing else to do but go to my Rest where I shall be invested with Liberty and Glory Eternal Eternal O blessed Wages of a short Lifes service how does my Soul praise thee O Lord in Transports and even Extasies thou hast called me indeed to be a Servant but thou hast called me too to be a Son thou hast not indeed given me any great portion of the Wealth or Honour of this Life but thou hast given me the blessed Jesus to be my Redeemer and thy holy Spirit to be my Sanctifier O do but ever continue thus to me the Light of thy Countenance thy Grace and thy Truth and I shall never think my self to stand in need of any thing that the World admires but O my God how often are these my Comforts abated nay even interrupted how often is this blessed this chearful Light obscur'd and orecast by my infirmities and sins my sins the only causes that keep good things from me my sins the only real troubles of my Life Thus O my God though I renew'd my Covenant with thee but this morning though I devoted my self to thee vowing Obedience to thee and faithfulness to my Master yet have I prevaricated my Duty here mention the Errours and Infirmities of the day past have mercy upon me O Lord have mercy upon me and forgive me these and all other my offences and give me grace to keep my self upon my watch and guard against them Enable me sincerely to endeavour to repair and reform 'em as much as in me lies that I may every day grow and increase in goodness and be so much the fiter for Death the nearer I do every day approach to it and whenever it comes let it find me O Lord with my Loyns girt and my Lamp burning in a disposition and frame of spirit fit to die possessed with an unshaken Faith with an humble Resignation and Submission of Mind with a holy Contempt of Earth and a devout Love of Heaven In the mean time thou keeper of Israel thou who never slumbrest nor sleepest watch over me and this whole Family protecting and delivering us in our coming in and going out particularly let thine Angels pitch their Tents about us this night let us lie down securely and let our sleep be sweet to us for thou Lord shalt make us dwell in safety Amen Amen Blessed Jesus If any one expects from me Directions here for Mental or Extemporary Prayers I must tell 'em freely that little less than a Volume much bigger than I purpose this is sufficient for such an undertaking What I have to say in a word here
the Eye of the World but why should you think that Condition too mean for you which our dear Lord thought not too mean for him For he came in the form of a Servant Phil. 2. But if this trouble you I have shewed you before an infallible way of redeeming your selves from Contempt namely by a Religious and excellent Behaviour for true Virtue is much more honourable than Nobility of Blood or Ampleness of Fortune A Prayer for Contentment in your Condition O Eternal and gracious Lord God before whom a meek and humble spirit is of great price O God who givest Grace to the humble but resistest the proud keep me I beseech thee from pride and frowardness from discontent and murmuring and give me a meek and humble spirit Make me adore thy Wisdom and Goodness in every dispensation of thy Providence and chearfully submit to thy Will and follow thy Conduct O suffer me not to dispise or murmure at that state which my great Lord and Master honour'd by taking it upon himself for he came not to be ministred to but to minister Make me always thankful to thee for those Real Advantages which I enjoy in this state thou hast given me all the necessary Comforts of Life without the Cares and Troubles of it thou hast hedg'd in my ways and kept me from Idleness and Worldly and Carnal Lusts by my Necessities and indispensible Restraints of my Calling O never suffer me to break thorow all these to commit sin and die O grant that since my station has fewer Temptations to sin and more Encouragements to Virtue than that of others I may be so much more eminent and exemplary than others in all virtuous and holy living as knowing my offence more inexcusable So shall I ever have reason to bless thy Love for the meanness and necessities of my state when they shall have made me rich in goodness then shall I adore and magnifie thy Love for those Restraints and Confinements thou hast put upon me when they shall prove the meanest Instruments of my Eternal Preservation and Safety then shall I adore thy Mercy for the bodily hardships of my Service when they shall prove to me an excellent Discipline to train me up to Virtue and Glory Amen so be it blessed Jesus A Prayer for Fidelity to your Master and Trust in God O Holy and Righteous God whose Eyes are set upon the Righteous and thine Ears are always open to their Prayers who feedest those that fear thee and art a present help in time of trouble possess me I humbly beseech thee with such a sincere Faith in all thy Promises with such a firm persuasion of thy Wisdom Power and Goodness that I may ever trust and relie upon thee as my God and my Saviour and O let me never be ashamed of my hope in thee nor let my distrustful or fearful heart ever give thee occasion to be ashamed to be called my God And because O Lord the Sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to thee and the Prayers of the unjust a mere prophanation of thy holy Name therefore I beseech thee let thy fear be before mine Eyes and make me faithful and diligent in the station to which it has pleased thee to call me I know O Lord that thou art a holy and a righteous God and an Avenger of all Covenant-breakers O suffer me not therefore to fall into breach of Trust with Man lest I fall under the Vengeance of my God I know that my Duty towards my Master is one great part of my Religion towards thee O suffer me not by idleness or falshood to lose the Eternal Reward of my Service I know O Lord that all things are naked and bare before thee and that though my Master's Eye cannot yet thine does in all times and in all places behold me that thou mayest render to me according to my works O how fatal then must that Laziness prove for which I must be condemn'd to everlasting pain O how fatal must my frauds be since though I may deceive my Master I cannot thee Lord therefore inable me so to serve with fear and trembling and singleness of heart that I may have a good ground to trust and depend upon thee for protection and provision in this World and for reward in another through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer for right performance of Instrumental or Relative Duties O Lord my God I know that my Lamp will soon go out unless there be Oil to feed it that my Graces will soon languish unless they be nourisht and refresht by thy Word and Sacraments I know O Lord that my spiritual life my corporal life cannot be upheld but by a daily supply a supply of thy Grace the life and strength of my Soul and I know that this is not in thy ordinary course otherwise to be obtain'd than by fervent Prayer awful Meditatation of thy Word and a devout and frequent Use of the Communion I beseech thee therefore O my God not only that thou wouldest imprint upon my heart a just sense of the necessity of these Duties but also that thou wouldest instruct and assist me that I may perform 'em devoutly and conscientiously and persevere in them constantly to my lifes end O do thou teach me to pray in contrite groans and transporting love O do thou open my heart that it may receive thy Word with true Faith and devout Affection O do thou raise in me such a grateful passion for the love of Jesus that I may not only commemorate his Death in joy and tears but meet him with ardent love and be inseparably united to him and he to me But O my God how often shall I fall short of this through my own default Ah how seldom shall I come up to it O therefore pardon pardon the infirmities of thy Servant Ah! pardon me my want of preparation to these Duties my heaviness and distraction in 'em and whatever mixtures of other frailties may cleave to them and however weak my performances may be let 'em not be wholly unprofitable let 'em at least beget in me Humility clearer Convictions of my spiritual Poverty and Weakness greater Watchfulness and new Resolutions for the time to come and all this I most earnestly and most humbly beg for the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord. CHAP. II. Of the Servant's Duty towards his Master and Mistress consisting in Obedience Faithfulness Love I Think Injustice or Uncharitableness in Servants implies a double guilt nothing can be more evident than that every Servant owes his Master and Mistress in the first place all those Duties at least which every Man owes another whether he be Friend or Enemy Neighbour or Stranger namely Truth Justice and Charity nay I believe all will readily confess that the transgression of these Duties in Servants towards their Masters and Mistresses has many more and greater Aggravations in it than any Errour of this kind in one Man towards another for
will one day be Make me O Lord remember that I am always in thy sight and that thou dost ponder all my Paths that I may be fully convinc'd that both my Temporal and Eternal Interest depends upon the Conscientious performance of my Duty that so I may not be seduc'd or discourag'd by any Temptations whatever but still looking up to God and having regard to the recompence of Reward I may run with patience the Race that is set before me Amen Blessed Jesus So be it PART III. The Necessity of Communicating Concerning the Sacraments of the Lords Supper there are two things which Servants are to be Instructed in First Their Obligation to Receive it as often as they can have an opportunity Secondly What Preparation is necessary to it CHAP. I. The Servants Obligation to Receive the Sacrament General Obligations THE Obligations to Commemorate the Death of our blessed Lord which arise from the consideration of his great Love in dying for us and the great benefits we are made partakers of in that Holy Communion and from the need we stand in of the Grace and Mercy that is conveyed and sealed to us in this Sacrament these and such like are Universal Obligations and equally concern all Mankind the Servant as well as the Master the Poor as well as the Rich for the Son of God has died for all alike Mercy to pardon us and Grace to assist us is tender'd to all alike and all do alike stand in need of both And of this sort of Obligation is the command of Christ and the practice of the Primitive Church and the nature of the Duty as 't is the renewing of our Covenant all these do oblige all Men alike to frequent Communion for no sort of Men were excepted in the command of our Saviour no Rank of Men were excluded in the practice of the Church and since 't is a publick owning of our Covenant it seems to me that it cannot be utterly neglected much less contemn'd without Relinquishing the Communion of Saints Renouncing the Faith and falling almost into the guilt of open Apostacy All these Arguments and Motives to the frequent use of the Sacrament do as strongly bind and forcibly press Servants as any other sort of People whatever Obligations peculiar to Servants But besides these there are some considerations which may more peculiarly concern Servants than others and which seem to render the neglect of this Duty more inexcusable in them than in any others As First As they enjoy not the pleasures which Men of plentiful Fortunes do so neither are they distracted by the cares which Masters of Families may reasonably be supposed to be Nor are they engag'd in so many contentions as the many designs and interests of their Superiours do necessarily expose them to they live if it be not their own fault by constant Rules they have all the advantages of retirement in the midst of the World lying under no pressing Temptation either to care or contest or sensuality So that unless they be extreamly careless of their Souls unless they be extreamly insensible of the love of Jesus they must live in an habitual preparation for the Sacrament or at least they can have no tolerable excuse for the neglect of it It deserves well to be further consider'd that the great stress of business which lies upon many Masters of Families in their Trades and Imployments lies not alike upon them or if it do it may indispose and incapacitate the Master for the Communion and yet not the Servant 'T is the Masters choice but the Servants necessity that puts him upon it 't is often the Masters Ambition and Covetousness but 't is the Servants Obedience and Faithfulness that engages him so that the weight of business which may be the Masters fault is the Servants Duty and therefore tho' it keep the one it must not the other from the Sacrament for 't is impossible that any one should be made unfit for the Communion by doing his Duty 'T is true to advance a little further that the love of Jesus in dying for us was equal towards all for all were subject to the punishment of sin but if there were any difference the obligation would be greater on the poor and mean in one respect than on the rich Because such do need the support and comfort which they derive from this Blood not only to uphold 'em against the terrour of another Life but also under the troubles of this and certainly the more low and mean any mans State in this present World is the more unpardonable in him is the love of this Life or the neglect of another for the less pleasure we enjoy from without the more natural is it to seek the pleasures of Religion the pleasures of Faith the pleasures of the mind from all which it necessarily follows that a Servants coldness towards his blessed Lord and Master has something less of excuse in it than any other Mans For in what Heart shall the blessed Jesus find an Entertainment in what Soul shall he find place to dwell unless in that which has no Temptation to love the World Where should the love of Heaven the love of Jesus and the love of Virtue take deeper Root than in that Heart which hath rationally no Foundation no place to raise any other hopes on that are considerable Where might our dear Lord expect sooner to be receiv'd with open Arms and the whole Heart than by these who have no other Friend no other Patron to trust to According to this discourse this was the success the real issue of things in the first times The Poor had the Gospel Preach't unto 'em that 〈◊〉 these generally speaking were the only Men which were affected and wrought upon by the Preaching of the Gospel But now ah now The times are inverted the Servant and the mean Man appears as much more stupid and negligent in the things of another Life as he has less share than others in this they seem to be sunk as much beneath the Virtue as Fortune of their Superiours and being freed from the Cares and Emulations from the Ambition and Designs of those above 'em their Souls seem to be grown so unactive so thoughtless so dark that they carry not one Meditation beyond the works of their hands like him in Ecclesiasticus * Chap. 38.25 How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough and that glorieth in the goad that driveth Oxen and is occupied in their Labours and whose talk is of Bullocks For shame shew your selves men and convince us that you have Rational and Immortal Souls let me intreat you consider how great a dignity you are advanced to how great an honour you are vouchsafed by God in being invited by him to this feast you do here more nearly approach God you are feasted and entertain'd by him as his Children you are united in the closest Ties and Bonds with your dear Lord and
gratifie thy Covetousness and this is downright Idolatry in thee or thou must steal out of distrust and to secure thy self against thy Infidel fears of Poverty hereafter Unhappy creature who canst not relie upon God even when thou art provided for What couldst thou do worse than this if thou wert destitute of any provision How great a distrust of God how vile and impious a piece of Infidelity is this And how great is the sin of Distrust and Infidelity without any extraordinary aggravations * Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone Or Lastly Thou must steal to feed some other Lust such as Riot Uncleanness or the like and then in what a course of wickedness art thou engag'd Thou art then to satisfie not only the Extravagancies of thy own but of others Lusts and thou makest thy self a Slave to all that are thy Confederates in sin nay they are the Masters of thy Reputation thy Fortune and thy Life and when thou considerest what loose and debauched wretches thou dost trust these thy dear Concerns with thou canst not but think thy self as desperate a Fool as thou art desperately wicked So that as to this end of thy Theft the gratifying some wild and lewd Affections the more thou dost succeed in it the more desperate and deplorable is thy state The two other ends namely the satisfaction of thy Covetousness or thy security against future want are in all probability subverted and defeated by that very sin by which thou dost endeavour to attain 'em For thy Theft forfeits the favour and patronage of God thy distrust and this course it puts thee upon is an open renouncing and relinquishing the Care and Providence of God over thee so that though thy sin should be conceal'd from man thou canst expect no other than that thou shouldst be curst in all thou settest thy hand to and that thy fairest Hopes should be blasted but if thou art discover'd the least that can befal thee is the Restitution of thy Unjust Rapines and a brand or mark of Infamy fixt on thee which will render thee uncapable of any Trust and expose thee consequently to unavoidable and perpetual want and beggary Ah the wretched Life of an infamous and beggarly Theif forsaken and abandoned by God and Man I have said enough I hope to make any one sensible of this sin of Purloyning yet I am almost afraid lest my Design may be in some part defeated by the foolish Collusions and trifling Excuses of such who though they cannot deny Purloyning or Theft to be a damnable sin yet they commit the thing and deny it to be Theft just like men that acknowledge Rebellion a sin but will not own taking up Arms against the Supreme Magistrate to be Rebellion Give me leave therefore to tell you that when I make Theft to be the converting your Master's goods to your own use I understand by it all acts of yours by which your Master suffers detriment and wrong For Instance not only the deceiving him in what is in your own Trust or the pilfering what is in anothers or the taking to your selves any way unjustly what is his but also the giving away to others without his knowledge or contrary to his will any part or portion of his than which nothing I hear is more common Servants as well as Masters having their attendants and hangers on their Parasites and Flatterers who at once sooth them in their Pride and Vanity by fawning and flattering and cherish 'em in their Idleness by doing their business I must put you in mind further that I mean by your Master's goods whatever he possesses whatever it be wherein he can suffer or you commit wrong And in the last place I must put you in mind that you are guilty not only of the wrong and injustice which you personally commit but also of whatever is committed by any other if you consent to it and connive at it even though you should receive no benefit by it For thus far I conceive the Reproof of the Psalmist may be extended * Psa 50.18 When thou sawest a Thief thou consented'st with him which is there look't upon as an abominable wickedness and surely the commands of God Thou shalt not suffer sin in thy Brother but by any means reprove him and * Eph. 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove 'em do nearly concern a Servant in this case as he would avoid the guilt of the sin which he doth not reprehend for the neglect of Reproof is here a tacit approbation of the sin and tho' peradventure this sort of theft be not to be loaded with all the Aggravations of the former yet the least that can be said of it is that it is a down-right injustice a breach of trust and extream unfaithfulness towards the Master But you 'l demand of me how is a Servant to behave himself towards his guilty Fellow-Servant that he may in such a case as this acquit himself with a good Conscience towards God and Man If he conceal his fault he is unfaithful to his Master if he discover it he is unkind to his Fellow-Servant He must betray the one or the other if he do not reveal the wrongâ— he sees his Master suffers and what is more his Conscience must suffer too if he do he shall be hated and persecuted by his Fellow-Servants as an Informer nay peradventure what is worse than this he he that is accused shall out-wit him or shall be able to form a Combination against him and so find more credit with the Master and by consequence the good Servant shall by his Integrity and Justice forfeit his Place and it may be his Reputation or at least live uneasily persecuted by the vexatious Calumnies affronts and unkindnesses of those others that are combined against him To this demand take this answer I should never have fancied this Objection had I not been extreamly sensible of the frailty of Man for whence should any one doubt whether he should preserve his Faith and Duty to his Master or commit a sin to oblige a Fellow-Servant Whence should spring this question whether you should support and cherish a wicked Fellow-Servant in his Vice or whether you should preserve a Master to whom you ow Fidelity Truth and Love from injuries and wrongs How finally should a Man come to be troubled with this scruple Whether he should preserve his Integrity a good Conscience and the Favour and Blessing of God by doing his Duty or by deserting it run the hazard of the worst that the wit or malice of his wicked Fellow-Servant can bring upon him These you must readily acknowledge are doubts and scruples which do not become the sincerity and Faith of a good and honest Christian However you shall not want here the best advice that I can give you for I know
his Commandments are not grievous the same is true of the Service of Man the burden of it is very light if Love help to bear it for how natural is it for a Servant to obey when he is as fond of the Love of his Master as of his own Interest and how natural to be faithful when he loves his Masters Interest as his own He will abhor to see him wrong'd in his Goods or disturb'd or disquieted in his Mind since if he loves him he cannot but in every evil that befalls him suffer with him how sacred will such a Servant esteem the Honour of his Master How much will he be concern'd for the Virtue of his Children the good behaviour of his fellow-servants and the success of his Enterprizes in the World Such a Servant will not stand upon Punctilioes and nicely weigh his Duty by grains and scruples but he will think all his Duty whatever it be wherein he can serve his Master And whatever he does he will perform with that delight that care and chearfulness that one would think that he were like Eliezer to Abraham rather an Heir of his Master's blessing and his own labours than an hired Servant such a one will not stay to expect commands where his Master's interest requires his Service much less will he be solicitous which way he may be excused from his Duty for he accounts nothing more disingenious than to stand in need of an excuse Finally how easy will it be for such a Servant to receive direction humbly to bear any infirmity of his Master patiently to answer respectfully to remember heedfully to reform carefully and to do all out of singleness of Heart How many and great the advantages of this Virtue are both to the Master and to the Servant both in point of credit and delight both in point of Religion and Interest is very easy to be discern'd the Master will have his business done and that very prosperously he sees nothing miscarry under the hands of his Servant he hears no discontent nor contention in his Family he sees that his Servant is a good example and guide to his whole Houshold in a word he meets with nothing to displease him when at home nor is he disturb'd by any suspicions or fears when abroad for he can as entirely confide in his Servant's Faith and Affection as in himself how will such a man be ready like him who bought Diogenes to run out into the Exchange and Market to publish to the World that a Guardian Angel is come into his House Without any Amplification of the matter such a Master if he be not savage and insolent as well as stupid must confess that he enjoys a great blessing that he cannot set too high a value upon his Servant and by consequence he is in Honour and Justice bound not only to treat him with courteous words and kind looks but to reward him too and this cannot but tend to the honour and interest of the Servant which cannot but reflect advantagiously upon the Master for to have good Servants and to do well for 'em is I think in the opinion of judicious men no small argument of a good and wise man But to proceed not only the credit and interest but even the content and Religion of Families is highly concern'd in the love and Duty of Servants for Love is the Parent of Unity and Peace and it Nurses up the Children it brings forth it maintains and preserves the quiet which it procures and in a Family where Charity and Contentment reign where order and peace dwell how necessarily must Religion thrive and flourish They will watch over and assist one another they will affectionately give and meekly receive advice they will not want time for Religious Duties nor a sedate composure of mind to make the best use of that time no one 's Prayers and Reading will be rendred useless through discontent and distraction No one will be kept back from the Sacrament by confusion of business or disturbance of mind If all this be put together I need not trouble you with many motives or inducements to this Duty of Love for what greater blessings can a Servant desire than those are which this gives him 'T is a help to him in the performance of his Duty lightens the burden of his Service it gives him the love of his Master and the Family peace at home credit and reputation abroad both which are the most solid foundations of a Servant's interest imaginable unless it be the favour of God and this behaviour gives him a right claim to that too for whatever is a work of Religion as this indeed is whatever procures men more opportunities of grace and whatever prepares and disposes 'em for the best use of 'em must needs very much promote our Heavenly Interest and I have sufficiently made it out that all these are the blessed fruits of this Duty To all which I will add but one consideration more to convince you of your obligation to it which is this that you cannot without monstrous ingratitude be guilty of the contrary Do you think that you owe no affection to your Master and Mistress who have receiv'd you into their House reposed a confidence and trust in you who are very solicitous to inform and instruct you who not only bear long with your Ignorance but wink at many other infirmities in you who provide for you in your health and are tender of you in your sickness who are desirous to oblige and encourage you and rejoice when you behave your selves so as to deserve it Is there nothing due to 'em for their compassion for your Souls for their watchfulness over your manners for their care in providing for you spiritual as well as bodily food You cannot be guilty of hating or despising these who have deserved so well of you nay you cannot be guilty of what is less the not loving 'em but you must be profligately ingrateful you must be stupid and base to a degree that bruitish Creatures have never yet been guilty of For the Ox knows his Owner and the Ass his Master's Crib Nay there is no beast of the Field or of the Desart so fierce and salvage but he has been tamed and obliged too by repeated courtesies and benefits A General Prayer relating to the Duties of this Chapter O Holy and Just God I know that without Holiness it is impossible for me to please thee here or to enjoy thee hereafter I beseech thee therefore that my understanding may be so enlightened my Conscience convinced and my whole Heart enflamed with the love of Holiness that I may be Holy in all manner of Conversation Beget in me a most tender and lively sense of the great Duties of Obedience Justice and Charity which I owe to my Master that I governing my self by these in all my actions I may in my Station advance the Honour of God the Contentment and Interest of my
Master the Peace and Virtue of the Family and my own both Temporal and Eternal Happiness I know O Lord that no acts of injustice or unfaithfulness between Man and Man shall go unpunish'd I know that for these things sake the wrath of God is reveal'd from Heaven O what then must be my punishment if I heap upon the guilt of injustice and uncharitableness many others namely of Ingratitude Unfaithfulness Lying Perjury O preserve me therefore O my God from all falshood and wrong and suffer me not to forfeit thy favour and destroy my Soul for the sake of those things that perish O let me be fully convinced that the ways of Righteousness are ways of Pleasantness and that all her paths are Prosperity and Peace that so I may delight my self in the Law of my God and may find comfort and a blessing in the discharge of my Duty Teach me O Lord Humility and Obedience Faith and Truth Care and Industry Charity and Meekness that I may adorn the Doctrine of God my Saviour win others over to a love of Virtue and after an humble and contented tho' laborious life here may enter into Rest and Glory hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer for Obedience O Glorious and Eternal Lord God who dwellest with those who are of a meek and lowly Spirit behold me I beseech thee and pour into my Heart that Virtue of Humility which is so highly esteemed by thee O Lord my Heart is too too apt to be filled with Pride and Vanity O do thou convince me every day more and more of my own vileness and worthlesness that I may be preserved from self-conceit and wilfulness O give me Grace often to consider the Humility of my Lord and Saviour that I may learn of him and obtain the peace which flows from a meek Spirit and Humble Obedience And O my God because I am to give an account to thee who art the searcher of the Heart and the tryer of the Reins the Judge of my most secret Thoughts as well as my most secret Actions teach me therefore to do my Duty chearfully and in singleness of Heart make me to abominate all Lying shifts and pretences as well as all proud wilfulness and sluggishness Make me careful to learn my Duty sincere in the performance of it patient under reproof and diligent in reforming whatever is amiss thus O my God whilst every part of my Duty towards Man shall prove an instance of my Obedience towards thee I shall enjoy the peace of a good Conscience and the hopes of an Eternal Reward Hear me and answer me O Lord for thy Mercies sake and thy Son Jesus Christs Sake A Prayer for Faithfulness O God thou God of Truth Right and Just art thou and there is no iniquity with thee fill my Heart I beseech thee with the love of Truth and Faithfulness make me true in all my words and upright in all my deeds O teach me to take heed to my ways that I offend not with my Tongue teach me to keep my Mouth as it were with a Bridle while the ungodly are in my sight O make me to abhor the sin of Unfaithfulness and let no such cleave unto me Let no slander or detraction no mischievous accusations proceed out of my Mouth nor suffer me ever to stretch forth my hand to iniquity O let me not fall through Covetousness or Distrust in God and let me never commit injustice to maintain my Pride or Riot or Idleness adding sin to sin If sinners entice me suffer me not to consent to 'em permit me not to have any Fellowship with the Unfruitful Works of Darkness but give me courage and discretion to reprove 'em that so my Righteousness may be as the Noon-day and thou mayest make me to prosper in the Land and I may at last obtain the Blessing Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into thy Masters Joy Amen Amen Blessed Jesus A Prayer for Love O Thou God who art Love give me thy Grace that I may practise more abundantly that Charity which I owe all Mankind towards those of the same Family give me a grateful sense of the benefits which I enjoy under this Roof of the care and kindness of my Master towards me in providing for me both spiritual and bodily Food that so I may make returns to him in the Fruit of Love Obedience and Faithfulness Lord let his interest and his honour let his quiet and content be dear to me as my own that I may not only serve him with Justice but Zeal too And O my God diffuse the gift of Charity through the Hearts of this whole Family that we may all live in Godly love and peace together that our Prayers be not hindred nor we kept back from thy Holy Table or approach it unworthily But that we all enjoy thee our God in the beauty of Holiness enjoy one another in the beauty of Charity and enjoy those Temporal Blessings which thou hast richly bestow'd upon us in the beauty of order and virtue and and all things may finally and uniformly tend to thy Glory and our Comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. III. Of the Duty of Servants § 1st Towards their Masters Children consisting of Affection due Respect Care of their Morals Care of their Honour and Care of their Interest § 2dly Towards Sojourners § 3dly Towards Strangers What the Servant owes his Masters Children WHatever it be that Servants owe the Children of the Family 't is only the result of that Duty which they owe their Master Children are as it were parts of their Parents their Blood and Birth gives 'em a just claim as to the care and love of their Parents so to a proper share of th' Affection and Service and all other advantages of the Family First Therefore a Servant owes the Children of his Master a sincere Affection Affection which will easily be granted if it be but consider'd that 't is impossible for a Servant to bear Faith and Love to his Master and have neither for his Children for Children are the dearest interest and most valuable Treasure of their Parents Children are the joys and hopes of their Fathers they double the pleasure of his prosperity by being sharers in it and ease the toil of his labours by being the Heirs of ' em How therefore can any one pretend to love his Master who hates or despises what is dearest to him Now this affection of the Servant must express it self towards his Masters Children 1st In a due Respect 2dly In his care for their Morals 3dly In a sincere Zeal for their Honour and 4dly For their Interest 1st In Respect Due Respect This their birth Challenges every slight or neglect offer'd the Children by a Servant is some diminution of the Reverence which he owes his Master for the Father must needs suffer in the contempt of the Son and yet this Respect ought to be wisely regulated for
against which more judgments more curses are denounced or which is represented more detestable to God than Lying Lips a Lying Tongue a spiteful and a malicious Heart There is indeed a sort of Lying by way of Recrimination and Self-defence which is generally thought to have something of extenuation in it and something indeed it has but not enough to excuse it for the best that can be said of it is this it may sometimes have something less of Malice and habitual Rancour but it has never less of falsehood and injustice and therefore is vile and dishonourable in the sight of Man and damnable in the sight of God One sort of Injustice more I must just touch upon and that is Envy weak and base minds are extreamly subject to this such as are too sluggish to have any Merit and too self-conceited to see their want of it these and these only are apt to be envious and such a one will count every excellence in his Fellow-Servant a disparagement to himself and every favour vouchsafed another an injury to him And this stirs him up to detract from anothers good Service and to supplant anothers interest by all imaginable Arts which shews the hainousness of this Crime consisting in the utmost contradiction to Justice and Charity but this sin is so great a Plague and Torment to ones self that methinks there needs few motives to persuade men not to entertain it or to get rid of it Thus much I thought necessary to speak of this Duty of the Justice of Servants towards one another and were this well observ'd this would lay a sure Foundation for Charity and this again for Mutual Assistance and Concord for if you would not wrong one another either in word or deed all occasions of debate and contention would be cut off It were very happy for you your selves and for your Masters and Mistresses if you could advance thus far if you could come up to the pitch of honest Heathens but this is not enough to make you perfect Christians there 's something more requir'd of you if you 'l be the Disciples of our dear Lord and Master than meerly not to do wrong I will proceed therefore to the second Duty of Servants towards one another namely Charity I need not insist on the necessity of this grace in general Mutual Charity between Servants you well enough know you cannot be saved without it the heart that is void of love is void of God for * 1 John God is Love if you be destitute of Charity you cannot be the Children of God or the Disciples of Christ 1 John 4.20 If a man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a Lyar. And our Saviour saith hereby shall I know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another This is an irresistible motive to every one that believes and weighs it but there are others which being more peculiar to your state ought to prove strong engagements to it for instance how uncomfortable must strife and hatred render your service it must needs be extremely troublesom to be condemn'd to the company and conversation of those you cannot endure nor will this only bereave you of the pleasure you would take in one another but of the assistance you would afford each other if you did love as Brethren nor is this all your discontents do generally rebound upon those above you and you grow by degrees as uneasy and unacceptable to your Masters and Mistresses as you are to one another nay any discreet man tho' he could brook the trouble of your quarrels and discontents yet to deliver himself from the disparagement scandal of 'em will judge himself obliged to discard all peevish contentious Servants what over other good qualities they may have And then another ill consequence is you lose your good name and lie under such odious characters that being cast out of one house no other will receive you for who can be fond of noise and mischief This little if it be seriously consider'd is sufficient to convince you of your obligation to Charity and Brotherly affection towards one another I will now go on to shew you in what instances you must express this affection having first only put you in mind that your Charity must be real and not feigned that you must love not in word but in deed and in truth for Hypocrisie and Dissimulation is as sinful and mischievous and in common account at least more odious and despicable than professed hatred or open contention Having premised this I proceed there are two waies by which you are to express your mutual Charity First by the mutual assistance you are to afford each other Secondly by preserving constant peace and unity amongst your selves 1. If you be possessed with Charity towards one another it will shew it self in the good turns you will do one another in the assistance you will yield to each other and here sure the Soul of your fellow-Servant deserves your aid in the first place if he be ignorant unacquainted with Religion and not only so but incapable through the meanness of his education to inform himself in it by reading for if he be not ignorant but what is worse viciously inclined if he know God but do not fear nor glorifie him as he ought you cannot do God or him a more eminent service than by endeavouring to instruct and inform him reading to him and teaching him to read or by endeavouring to convince his Conscience of his Duty and to make him sensible of the necessity and happiness of a Religious and holy life Next to the ignorance of Religion and Immorality a Servant's ignorance in his business requires your compassion and aid and what help you afford him in this is a work of excellent Charity in you and ought to be acknowledg'd not only by your fellow-Servant but your Master too as an obligation for 't is a Real benefit to both To be brief if you 'l behave your selves with that goodness gentleness and sweetness that may evidence your love to one another you must in a literal sense bear one anothers burthens you must pardon and forgive one another's infirmities you must excuse and conceal one anothers Errours unless they be such as imply manifest unfaithfulness to your Master in which case they are no longer Errours and Frailties but Crimes Concord which was the second instance of Charity I recommended to you is the natural result of all this For these mutual Assistances and Obligations can never miss of preserving a right Understanding and nourishing a sincere Friendship between you but yet because Concord must be preserv'd where Friendship sometimes cannot and you must wish well to and carry your selves fairly towards some Servants whom you cannot fancy whom you cannot take any complacency or delight in therefore I will say something of this I need say nothing more to convince you of the necessity of Concord than
Temptations of the Family you are in let not the Authority of great examples delude or deceive thee let not any prospect of Interest insnare thee let not the solicitations of thy fellow Servants perswade thee let no opportunity betray thee into sin for thou dost purchase thy profit or the favour of man at too dear a rate if by the loss of thy Virtue thy Soul thy Heaven thy God Never be ashamed of singularity where thou canst not be virtuous unless singular * Eccles 4.20 21 22. Observe the Opportunity and beware of evil and be not ashamed when it concerns thy Soul for there is a shame that bringeth sin and there is a shame which is glory and grace Accept no person against thy Soul and let not the Reverence of any man cause thee to fall For thou mayest assure thy self that Virtue is never more honourable than when it stands the shock of Temptations and despises the allurements of Opportunity and that whatever profit or honour sin may flatter thee with it will prove shame and bitterness in the latter end Thirdly besides the practice of Religion in private and the frequenting the Sacrament in publick as often as you have Opportunity you must conscientiously attend to Family-Duties for this peradventure is the only Rule by which your Master will measure your esteem for Religion and your esteem for Religion is the only thing or at least the main thing by which he will judg of your Truth and Faithfulness Not that this should be your first and chief motive to it for that must be not the opinion of others concerning you but the Honour of God and the improvement of your Soul There lies upon you more than common Obligations to these Duties for your absenting your selves from 'em is not only a slight put upon the Worship and Truths of God but also an Act of Disobedience to your Master In the second place the meaner your Education is the more ought you to covet these opportunities of instruction and the less your time for Religion is which you are often wont to pretend at least the more carefully ought you to embrace this time of Worshipping God Thus much of the First thing wherein the interest of a Servant doth consist which is his Credit or Reputation The Second is the affection which his Master and others bear towards him of which now And here 't is certain that the surest Foundation of this affection or love is the merit of your Service The Affection of the Master how attain'd a Faithful that is honest and careful discharge of your Duty but besides this there are some qualities that do more immediately tend to recommend and endear a Servant such are First an humble and chearful temper which always puts 'em forward even beyond the bounds of their indispensible Duty makes 'em ready to undertake even more than they are bound to if they think it tends in the least either to the interest or satisfaction of their Master and in doing this they must appear glad of the opportunity desirous of purchasing their Masters favour at any rate and this is such an obliging temper that 't is almost impossible to fancy a Master so stupid or ungrateful as not to take notice of Love and Reward such a Servant Secondly He that will win the affection of those he serves must make it appear that he loves 'em he must rejoyce in every good that befalls 'em and be afflicted in every evil he must be extreamly tender of creating 'em trouble or disturbance not so much out of the fear of any damage growing from it as out of a filial delight in their satisfaction and a filial affliction in their trouble besides all this he must always speak well and kindly of 'em he must look upon it as a lucky accident when ever he has opportunity to check the ingratitude of a Fellow-Servant towards 'em or to vindicate their Reputation against the calumnies of a Stranger and if he will take my advice he must not only speak well of his present but his former Master For I can hardly be persuaded that a Servant will speak well of me when gone from me who speaks ill of him whom he served before but if there be nothing good which he can speak of him yet at least let him never speak any ill of him unless he be unavoidably forced to it Nor let the Servant only speak well of his former Master but let him serve him to the utmost of his power for gratitude to a former is the Servants highest merit with his present Master Lastly That the Servant who desires to be belov'd keep at the greatest distance he can from all sorts of quarrels and contests in the Family let him never make any himself nor be a party in those made by others and let him be so far from insinuating himself into those things which his Superiors or any others would keep secret that on the contrary he must rather fly from the knowledge of a secret which others would disclose to him unless they have some good use to make of his trust all this that I have here directed I would have performed not with art and skill but sincerity for a Servant cannot counterfeit an obliging temper long if he do not endeavour to possess himself really of it He must endeavour to love his Master truly and heartily or else it will be very hard for him to make a good shew of that love which he has not and he must be finally endow'd with an humble and quiet spirit or else it will be a very difficult task for him to stand neuter amidst the quarrels of others and to close his Eyes and Ears against the secrets news and tattle which most are so naturally inquisitive after The third thing on which the interest of a Servant depends is the profit or gain of his Place The Servants Profit how advanced And here I need not tell you that a Faithful discharge of your Duty serves most to promote this for this as you have seen gains you affection at home and credit abroad and the Master will certainly give most countenance and encouragement as far as he is able to the Servant he loves best and every Member of the Family will favour and assist such a one as far as they can and if there be no ground for a rational expectation of reward from those he serves his own credit will in a little time open the way to it an extraordinary Virtue can be no more conceal'd than the Light the meanest and most private Imployment is Theatre enough to an excellent Person but what is most considerable of all he that serves faithfully in any Station has God for his Spectator and Patron There is therefore one thing only which I am to put you in mind of and that is that you be good Husbands of what you gain I mean that you do not wast and lavish it out in
and fear a state of darkness and affliction a state of wrath and death death eternal death and shall I be so fond of this state as to continue in it after thy Son has shed his blood to redeem me from it Shall I despise this Redemption and not hasten to be partaker of his Blood and all the benefits of his death and passion O my God and my Father it was an act of the most tender mercy in thee to offer up thy Son to death for me Ah what Ingratitude must I be guilty of towards thee what cruelty towards my self if I neglect this great salvation if I renounce or at least forget my Saviour and exclude my self from any Interest in his death O blessed Jesus didst thou by thy one painful oblation of thy self upon the Cross make a full perfect sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole World and can there be any thing more dear to me than the memory of this thy love more worthy of my remembrance than the redemption of the whole Word Redemption ah blessed word What happiness what Heaven doth it import to be redeem'd by Christ is to be translated out of darkness into a marvelous light out of the Regions and shadows of death into the glory of the Sons of God out of a state of bondage into the most perfect liberty out of a state of wrath into a state of Love and Mercy out of a state of Dread and Terrour into a state of Peace and Joy and Hope or at least into a capacity of all this and doth not all this deserve that I should ever commemorate this thy Redemption of me and of the World with devout joys with humble transports and the most grateful passion Didst thou need O my Blessed Saviour to institute and in thy Holy Gospel command me to continue a perpetual memory of that thy precious death until thy coming again lest I should forget it Ah wretched nature Ah wretched state Can there be any temptations that can betray me into so vile a baseness Can the love of the World a false deceitful World make me forget thee thy Agonies thy Wounds thy Death thy Love Ah my dear Saviour can it be so hard a matter to keep my remembrance and love of thee awake alive that thou shouldst need to command me thus to commemorate thy death in the lively symbols and representations of it and to enforce thy command by putting me in mind of thy coming again Methinks without all this my love for thee should have been so bright and flaming that I should have despised all things as dung and dross in comparison of thee and have desired to have known nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified methinks I should have lived in the devout contemplation of thy great excellent actions and thy great sufferings till I had been weary of this World and of this body of this poor Beggarly and Imperfect state and have long'd for my Dissolution and Entrance into thy presence this thy love deserv'd from me even though I had been encompassed with the pleasures and crown'd with the honours of this World how inexcusable then must I be who am one of the meanest of the people who have no allurements no temptations in my Fortune if I forget thee and forsake thee Ah! how shall I stand before thee when thou comest again How shall I behold thee in the glory of thy Father and on this tribunal if I should now forget thy sufferings for me forget thy love of me and neglect thy last thy dying commands the highest token of thy passion for me shewing how solicitous thou wast lest I should lose the benefit of thy blood when thou hadst shed it ah with what not shame and blushes but horrour and amazement would my guilty Soul be covered at thy appearance but this shall never be my Crime this shall never be my state never shall my Soul be guilty of such ingratitude to the Tender Mercys of my God or the tender love of my Saviour No my sorrows overflow me my heart is wounded within me that I have forgot thee so long already that I have remembred thee so seldom that I have turn'd my back so often upon that Holy Sacrament wherein thy passion ought to have been commemorated by me O pardon pardon blessed Lord thy unkind thy unfaithful Disciple I come to thee I come to confess thee I come to worship thee in the troubles and desires of a broken Spirit a contrite passion a restor'd Faith and a Revived affection O receive me cover'd with my tears and with my shame but ravish't with thy love too henceforth O my Saviour I will live with thee nothing shall divide thee from me not Business nor Interest not Relations nor Friends not the sluggishness of the body nor distractions of the World not life nor death it self I will live with thee in devout Prayers and Holy Meditations and with an impatient passion I will hast to meet thee in the Holy Sacrament which thou hast appointed as the representation of thy death the pledge of thy love in the symbols oif thy extraordinary presence And O blessed God who of thy tender mercy didst give thy Son to suffer death upon the Cross for my Redemption out of the same tender mercy assist me with thy grace that I may commemorate that his death with that Faith and humble gratitude that I may be made partaker of the Redemption wrought by it help me so to approach these Holy mysteries so to receive these Elements of Bread and Wine that I may be made partaker of the most precious body and blood of my Saviour that so being wash't from my sins by his blood united and incorporated with him by Faith and Love I may be strengthen'd and supported govern'd and protected by him while I am in the body and may meet him at his coming again with unspeakable rejoycing and be acknowledg'd by him as his Faithful Disciple and Follower Amen Amen for the sake of the same my crucifi'd Redeemer and Saviour Christ Jesus A Devout Exercise of Faith Repentance Love and Hope by way of Preparation for the Sacrament FIrst The Exercise of Faith The former Exhortation of our Church to the Receiving of the Sacrament lays down the design of Communion in these few but full words The most comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is to be receiv'd in remembrance of his meritorious Cross and Passion whereby alone we obtain remission of our sins and are made partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven On which you may thus comment Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief I believe that thou the Son of God didst take upon thee the form of a Servant and wast made in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a Man didst humble thy self and becamest obedient unto death even the death of the Cross I believe that by that thy painful Death painful
indeed to thee but comfortable and happy to us thou didst not only make an Oblation and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole World if they would believe and repent but also purchase for 'em an Eternal Kingdom I do therefore desire in this Holy Sacrament to make a publick Confession of my Faith in thee I am not asham'd of the Gospel of Christ for 't is the power of my God unto Salvation I am not asham'd of thee my Crucified Saviour for I know there is no other name given unto Man by which he may be sav'd but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I do therefore most earnestly desire to be made partaker of the benefits of thy Death and to have the assurance of my Redemption by thy Blood seal'd to me for I have O Lord a weight of sin that hangs upon my Soul from which unless thy Death deliver me it will sink me down into the lowest Hell therefore with impatience doth my Soul desire to approach this comfortable Sacrament where I may give thee the sincere assurances of my Faith Repentance and Love and may receive from the assurances and pledges of my Redemption wrought by thy Cross and Passion But Lord I know that they only can draw near with comfort to this Sacrament who with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn to thee I do therefore desire to place my self first as in the presence of God and under the awe of his all-seeing Eye to examine and try my Life and my Heart and to enter into the most sincere purposes of reforming what is amiss in me and help thou me O my God that I may do this as I ought to do give me that just sense of the weight and importance of this work that I may do it with care and vigour convince me so of the indispensible necessity of sincerity that I may neither hide nor disguise any sin in my Examination nor make any the least reserve for any in my Resolution of amendment And O my God if through the necessities of my Imployment or through the straitness of my time or through the ignorance or prejudice of my Education any thing shall escape me O impute it not to me but have compassion upon the Frailties of my Nature and the Infelicities of my State and upon whatever weaknesses unknown to me are grown upon me Secondly The Exercise of Repentance O Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things and Judge of all Men thou Holy All-seeing and Impartial Judge I present my self before thee in the Humility of my Soul in the grief and bitterness of my Heart to confess and bewail my sins and actually and sincerely to renounce ' em Here consider first the course of your past Life in general Thus how you have behav'd your selves towards your Parents when under their Government I mean not the particulars of your actions which 't is impossible to recollect but such generals as these Whether you have been notoriously disobedient whether you have notoriously neglected the means and opportunities of your Education or by any other way procur'd the grief affliction or shame of your Parents Then consider your course of Life since you came into Service as whether you have lived carelesly and coldly towards God in an habitual neglect or it may be contempt of Religion whether you have been a Faithful and good Servant or on the contrary whether you have liv'd in the custom and habit of Disobedience or Unfaithfulness to your Master And lastly as to your selves consider whether you have lived in a habit of Drunkenness Gluttony Uncleanness Pride and Wilfulness now if upon Examination you find your selves to have been guilty of any of these things in your past lives it will be necessary to confess and bewail your error altho' you have now long ago renounc'd it broken off your sin and liv'd a new Life and it will not be amiss to consider what aggravations are to be found in these your sins for example what convictions you have resisted and stifled what restraints you have broke through what inconveniences you have suffer'd by your sins what extraordinary Mercies and Deliverances you have had what extraordinary Chastisements God has inflicted upon you what Opportunities of Grace you have slighted these and such like considerations serve to render the Soul more Humble and Contrite and to quicken the sense of Gods Goodness and Loving-Kindness towards you When you have thus examin'd what the State of your Life past has been you are secondly to examine what the present State of your Soul is and here you are to consider First Whether you are now under the dominion and power of any sin and this your Conscience if it be not sear'd will soon inform you for it cannot but tell you that it has accus'd you for the Commission of this or that sin But lest you should deceive your selves you may examine your selves in the former manner upon those several Heads of your Duty treated of in this Book as you stand related to God to your Parents to your Master and Mistress to their Children to your Fellow-Servants to your Neighbours in general and to your selves Weighing your present behaviour and affection towards each in this as you did your past in the former part of this Examination If upon this view of your selves it appears to you that you live in any sin you must not only bewail it and resolve against it but you must also make Restitution if you have wrong'd your Master your Fellow-Servant or any other if you have wrong'd 'em in their goods you must restore it if you can if you cannot you must confess the wrong and beg their pardon If you have wrong'd 'em by Lying you must discover the truth and take the shame to your selves If you have griev'd disturb'd and troubled 'em by rudeness contumelious Language or any such way you must make 'em what amends you can by confessing your error promising Reformation and begging Forgiveness If you have been injurious to the Souls of any you must be as industrious to reclaim 'em when you have done all this I would not have you make too much hast to the Sacrament But first make some trial of the Truth and Sincerity of your Repentance but in giving this Rule I would be understood to speak either of sins of habitual Omission or else of those notorious transgressions of Gods Laws which the Scripture calls the works of the Flesh the wickedness in which the Gentile World lay the filthiness of Flesh and Spirit for as to defects and frailties tho' we must strive against 'em we shall never be free from 'em As to Lukewarmness Stupidity or Lifelesness in Religion if you mean by it a form of Godliness without the power that is that you profess to believe and live civilly but the Duties that you perform are done heedlesly and perfunctorily without any seriousness or any relish and the whole
presence but I do also loath and detest my sin O deliver me from it aid me by thy blessed Spirit that I may conquer and subdue all my corrupt affections O let that Spirit which was in Jesus be in me also that the life of Jesus may be seen in all my actions and the image of Jesus may be form'd in my Soul and my conversation may be in Heaven and here O Lord I offer up and devote to thee even my Soul and my body resolving to live a life of Devotion a life of Justice and Charity a life of Meekness and Humility a life of Industry and Watchfulness a life of Purity and Sobriety O Lord strengthen me O Lord establish me by the might of thy Spirit by the power of thy Word by the protection of thy Povidence that I may persevere and be faithful unto the end and so obtain a Crown of Righteousness through Jesus Chirst our Lord. 3dly The Exercise of Charity O my my God thou hast taught me by thy holy Word that thou art love that he only who dwelleth in love dwelleth in thee and accordingly I do find that thou art long-suffering and merciful that thou fillest even the Wicked and thine Enemies with thy goodness and O my blessed Savour and Redeemer I find that in this also thou art the express Image of thy Father and the brightness of his glory for thou camest from Heaven to Earth to die for thine Enemies to reconcile man to God first and then to reconcile and endear us all to one another and has taught us that we cannot be thy Disciples unless we love one another I do therefore most readily forgive all those that have wronged me either by word or deed I do from my heart readily pardon all those who have or do wish me evil or who endeavour or design me any I do earnestly desire to be the Child of my Heavenly Father and the Disciple of my dear Master in this point and therefore being jealous lest my reconciliation should not be sincere or perfect enough I do firmly purpose upon every opportunity to express my Charity towards mine Enemies my acts of Love and Kindness and lest after all I should not be zealous enough to promote that Love and Unity which is so dear and acceptable to my God and my Saviour lest I should not throughly coppy out the Divine pattern that is set me I will not only with unfeigned Humility and Affliction of Soul confess my offence make reparation and beg pardon for any wrong I have done others but I will wooe and importune those who have wrong'd me into a reconciliation For how well must this become me when God himself courts and beseeches the sinner and the Son of God Preach't and Prayed and Wept and Died for those who were irreconcileably set against him To be us'd by such as are conscious of Undutifulness towards their Governours and O my God I do now call to mind how unkindly how unchristianly I have behaved my self towards those who are my Governours in Church and State I have often made false slanderous and spightful reflections upon 'em and have aided and countenanced others in the like I cannot make to them a Personal Acknowledgment of my offences nor sue to 'em in particular for the pardon of 'em Here therefore before thee my God and my Judge whom I have hereby offended I do confess and bewail my sin and folly humbly imploring thy pardon and the assistance of thy Grace that I may henceforth walk in Christian Charity towards those who are my Governours thy Ministers for my good not only forbearing all Disloyalty Disobedience Malice and Uncharitableness my self but also discountenancing and opposing it in all others as far as in me lies O thou God of Love fill me with thy Divine Spirit fill me with Brotherly Affection and with a Fervent Zeal for the good of my Neighbour nor suffer me ever to be wanting according to my capacity to increase the happiness of the Prosperous and the Pious or to relieve the misery of the Afflicted and the Sinner But O my God whilst I pray for a Spirit of Love towards my Neighbour I must not forget to beg and beg earnestly that by the same Spirit thou wouldst shed abroad the Love of thee my God in my Heart O Let me ever remember the great things which thou hast done for me O Let me ever think upon the Patience and Long-suffering which thou hast exercised towards me above all let my Soul ever adore and love and bless thee that thou hast given thine own Son out of thy Bosom to die for me and for all Mankind that whoever believed on him might not perish but have Everlasting Life And O let me ever love and glorifie that Son of thy Bosom who hast loved me and given himself for me and washt me from my sins in his own Blood and O may I ever express this my Love by a frequent Commemoration of it by Devout Addresses to thee my God by a Devout Zeal for thy Glory and the propagation of the Kingdom of my Saviour Amen Amen Fourthly The Exercise of Hope After all these reflections which I have made upon my sinfulness and the Divine goodness upon my guilt and the atonement and satisfaction wrought by the Blood of Jesus I find that as the consideration of the one begets sorrow so doth the consideration of the other beget hope in me and I find the trouble of my Soul clear up into Christian Peace and Comfort My past sins indeed and my present unworthiness fill me with grief and shame and reproach of Conscience but there are other things that lift me up from the Earth that wipe away my Tears and remove the Garments of my mourning and fill my Soul with chearfulness and delightsome expectations such are these when I consider the Divine Nature I am assured that God delights not in the death of a Sinner but delights in exercising Loving-kindness Righteousness and Mercy upon Earth When I consider the death of Jesus I am well assured that it is a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for my sins and the sins of the whole World when I lastly consider the tenour of the Gospel-Covenant as 't is publisht to the World by the Son of God and his Followers I find contain'd in it pardon of sins to all repenting and believing Sinners without Restriction without Limitation without Exception of any Person or Reservation of any case * Math. 11.28 Come unto me all that travail and are heavy laden and I will refresh you * John 3.16 So God loved the World that he gave his only Begotten Son to the end that all that believe in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life * 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying and worthy of all Men to be received That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners * 1 John 2.1 If any Man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins And now I lift up my Heart O Lord unto thee I approach near thee and Sacrifice to thee in the joy of hope and thankfulness For tho' I do not presume to come to this thy Table trusting in my own Righteousness yet I do firmly trust in the multitude of thy Mercies I know I am not of my self worthy to gather up the Crumbs under thy Table yet I do with all know that the Son of God has died for Sinners and that thou art the same Lord whose property is ever to have Mercy I do not therefore doubt but I shall be a welcome and acceptable tho' in my self an unworthy Guest to this Table and being assisted by thy Grace shall so eat the Flesh of thy Son Jesus Christ and drink his Blood that my sinful Body shall be made clean by his Body and my Soul washed through his most precious Blood and I shall evermore dwell in him and he in me Amen Amen Aug. 5. 1685. Imprimatur Liber cui Titulus The Duty of Servants c. H. Maurice R mo D no. W mo Arch po Cant. a sacris â—INIS There is lately published by the same Author a Book intituled An Enqutry after Happiness c.