O then let his patience and all his goodness at last have this happy effect upon us let it lead us to true Repentance and ever hereafter engage us to diligence and constancy in his service Rom. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. 2 To which purpose consider again that this was the end for which God sent his Son Jesus into the World even to seek and save us lost and miserable sinners to bring us to Repentance and newness of life that so we might be restored to the love and favour of God which we had lost by sinning against him Our first Parents Adam and Eve were created in a very holy and happy Estate but they fell from it by sinning against God and so came all misery into the World And then did our Heavenly Father take pity on us and sent his own Son out of his bosom to be our Saviour and Redeemer to reform us from our Sins and so to deliver us from misery First he will make us Holy and then we shall be made Happy For as man lost his happiness by disobeying Gods command so he must recover it by becoming obedient to his will in all things To this end hath the Lord Jesus fully revealed Gods will to us when we were in ignorance and darkness He hath given us holy precepts for the rule of our Life And made most rich and precious promises to perswade us to our duty and denounced dreadful threatnings to affright us from Wickedness And when we had deserved the Wrath of God for our sins then did Jesus Christ shed his most precious Blood to make Atonement for us and to obtain our pardon and forgiveness He dyed for our offences and rose again for our justification Rom. 4. 25. And in his Gospel he has given full assurance of Gods good will to mankind that he will be merciful to us and pardon us if we truly repent of our sins and forsake them Thus hath Christ opened a door of hope for us to encourage us to return to God For if there had been no hopes of mercy we should never have been drawn to Repentance but even like the Devils themselves should have remained full of hatred and malice against God utterly despairing of relief from him But whilst the death of Christ does so much engage and encourage us to forsake our sins it gives not the least encouragement to our continuance in them Let us not think that Christ dyed for our sins that we might have liberty to live in them and yet be saved at the last No but he came to save us from our sins not in them He makes us blessed by turning us from our iniquities He dyed to redeem us from a vain and evil Conversation to purify our Hearts and reform our Lives and make us a peculiar People zealous of good works Matt. 1. 21. Act. 3. 26. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. The death of Christ for us vile sinners shews the infinite love of God in finding out this way for our Salvation But then it shews also what an evil thing sin is and how hateful to God since he would not pardon us without the suffering of his own dear Son on our account And therefore if the consideration of all this does not bring us to hate and abhor our sins and to love and serve our God and Saviour we are never like to have any benefit by Christs death All our professions of loving him and believing in him will stand us in no stead without obeying him True saving Faith in Christ is that which works by love both to God and our Neighbour Christ accounts none to be his friends but those that keep his Commandments and to such only will he grant pardon and Salvation Gal. 5. 6. Joh. 15. 14. Heb. 5. 9. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Since then the ever-blessed Jesus the Son of God came down from Heaven became a Man and dyed a most painful death upon the Cross that he might save us from sin and misery shall we not accept of him as our Lord and Saviour who comes to deliver us from the power of the Devil and our own Lusts to make us the Children of God and heirs of Glory which is a thousand times greater deliverance than that of the Israelites from the Aegyptian bondage Will you not be moved by all that Christ has done and suffered for you Shall not his love constrain you to love him and to hate all sin which was the cause of his sufferings Will you tread under foot his most precious Blood and even crucifie him afresh and again put him to open shame Thus in some sort do wicked men use their Saviour whilst they go on in their sins which are so displeasing to him They that lie and cozen for a little gain what do they but with Judas sell away Christ for Money They that live in hatred and malice and do mischief to their Neighbours do in effect run the Spear into Christs side and drive Nails into his hands and feet And they that give themselves to Riot and Drunkenness do even mingle Gall and Vinegar for him to drink They do all that in them lies by their sinful pleasures to put him again into Agonies and Pains But on the other hand it is a delight to our Saviour to see us humbled for our sins and resolved to forsake them He will readily and effectually interceed for us with our heavenly Father who is most willing to receive returning Prodigals There is joy in Heaven when sinners on Earth repent Even this our return to God by true repentance is the best recompence we can make to our Blessed Saviour for all his pains and sufferings When the pleasure of the Lord prospers in his hand by the conversion of sinners he then sees the travel of his Soul and is satisfied Isa. 63. 10 11. And shall we not afford this satisfaction to our Redeemer who hath undergone so much for our sakes and still out of his tender love to our Souls follows us with such earnest invitations to come to him for life and happiness Could we deny him this most reasonable request if we saw him now in person standing before us beseeching us to turn and live And this he now does by his Spirit and by his Ministers But that leads me to the next 3 Consider therefore that this also was the end for which the Holy Ghost is given and all the means of grace afforded even to sanctifie our hearts and make us an holy and obedient People God knows the weakness and corruption of our Natures and therefore in great mercy he affords the assistance of his holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and purifie our hearts to renew and change our natures and guide us in ways of holiness here that so we may be fitted for eternal happiness with the most holy God in the life to come Joh. 3. 3 5. Rom. 8. 9. And for this end were the holy Scriptures written by men assisted
are entirely fixed upon the ever-blessed God as our chiefest good and only satisfying Portion And let us earnestly seek his favour through the Lord Jesus the Mediatour who came into the World on purpose to bring us into a state of Friendship with God that we might love him and be loved of him and live with him for ever in love and joy But alway remember that obedience to God is the only sure evidence of true saving Love He that loves God will hate and abhor sin and wickedness Let the Son pretend what love and honour he will to his Father he does not truly love him except he use all due care to please him And if you do thus sincerely love God as your Father then may you always comfortably trust in him and depend upon him which is another great Duty and brings great peace and quiet to our minds Isa. 26. 3 4. Whilst you live in obedience ro God's commands you have a sure interest in his Promises and may safely rely upon his good Providence for the performance of them Wherefore whatever your wants your dangers or sufferings are do not distrust the Providence of God but wait patiently and do your own duty and be assured God in his good time will succour and relieve you he will direct comfort and strengthen you Let all the experience you have hitherto had of his loving-kindness engage you to trust in him as long as you live And take great care that you never murmur nor repine against God under any affliction whatever when you meet with the heaviest crosses and disappointments or lose your dearest Relations and Friends say with holy Job The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beseech God to teach you that excellent Lesson of Contentment in all Estates Phil. 4. 11 12 13. Though you may be low and poor in the World yet consider you have always cause to be thankful but never any reason to complain God knows what condition is best for us and let us leave it to him to chuse what we shall have We that deserve nothing but wrath and misery ought to acknowledg the great goodness of God that we are on this side Hell It is if the Lord's mercies that we are not utterly consumed and that we do enjoy any measure of comfort Think how poor the Lord Jesus was for our sakes who had not where to lay his Head and was ministred to by the substance of others and in the same mean Condition did the holy Apostles live Your low Condition frees you from a great many snares and temptations and from a great many cares and sorrows that rich People meet with If you but truly love God and have a treasure in Heaven you are very rich though you have neither Gold nor Silver Fear not but God will give you and yours Food and Raiment and having that let us be content and thankful Yea let us put the very worst that we should starve to Death for want of Bread which not one of a thousand does in times of Peace and Plenty yet if our Souls be fit for Heaven and carried thither we shall have no cause to complain of the manner of our Death I have heen a little the larger upon this for the sake of poor People who are too apt to be discontent and to murmur at their Condition though alas they commonly bring themselves into it or make it much worse by their own careless and loose lives as was before mention'd And yet before I proceed to the Duty you owe to your Neighbour let me in a few words direct you as to the Worship of God in Prayers and Praises This is a duty most frequently enjoyn'd in Scripture and practised by all good Men and the very Light of Nature may direct us to it We have daily need of God's mercy and do daily taste of it and therefore are we taught to pray continually and in everything to give thanks To God alone must we offer up our Prayers and Praises in the Name of Jesus Christ as he himself teacheth us Matt. 4. 10. Joh. 16. 23. We must not pray to Angels or Saints nor make use of them as our Mediatours for this is the peculiar Office of Christ who died for us and is now interceeding at the right hand of God 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore we mean sinful Creatures must always come to God in the Name of Christ and for his sake alone hope for the favour of God the pardon of our Sins the acceptance of our Persons and Services and the Salvation of our Souls And our Saviour teacheth us to worship God in a pure and Spiritual manner with our Hearts and Souls because he is a Spirit and searches the hearts of Men Joh 4. 23. Wherefore by no means may we make any Image or Picture of God nor may we give Religious Worship to an Image which is directly contrary to the second Commandment Neither may we frame in our minds any bodily shape or likeness of God when we pray to him but must conceive of him as a most pure and glorious Spirit most powerful and wise and good who fills the whole World with his Presence and is always near to us though not to be seen with bodily Eyes and hears our Prayers and knows our wants and is both able and willing to help us Our Saviour hath commanded us to pray in private when we are alone Matth. 6. 6. And there he taught his Disciples how to pray and hath given us that most excellent Form which we call the Lord's Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven c. which by the way may assure us that Forms of Prayer are very lawful And the Lords Prayer may both serve for a Pattern to direct us in all our Prayers and also is it self most fit to be used and joyned to our other Prayers But it is not proper to use the Belief and the ten Commandments for Prayers as the manner is of poor ignorant People though we ought often to think of them or rehearse them for the quickning of our Faith and the guiding of our Lives Upon all occasions in all our troubles and distresses let us be much in Prayer to God and still seek to him for mercy and comfort who is always nigh to them that call upon him in truth and sincerity Would the poor Man seek as earnestly to God for relief as he does to his rich Neighbour he would find it the surest course to have his wants supplied And let us also frequently be lifting up our Hearts to God in Thanksgiving and Praise for all his mercies and favours which he bestows upon us Thus may even the poorest Man have his mind often employ'd when he is at his Work in the Shop or in the Field or when he is walking in the way or sailing on the Seas which would not hinder but further his Labours and make them more easie and
but own that I perswade you to nothing but what is very just and reasonable and every way for your own greatest good And if you are convinced of this then proceed forthwith to this pious Resolution without trifling or delaying The sooner you do it the safer it is and the better for you Do not go on in sin at present on a pretence that you 'l repent hereafter when you are older or when you come to be sick and to die Do not put off the great business of Life to the end of your days when you are not sure of time or strength or of God's assistance or acceptance of you Do not plead the Example of the Thief upon the Cross for this Case was nothing like yours that have long enjoy'd the offers of grace and mercy If now from this present time you will heartily and sincerely return to God you have no reason to despair of his mercies how many or great soever your sins have been but if you still persist in sin presuming upon God's mercy hereafter you have just cause to fear that this bold presumption and horrid abuse of God's grace may end in your eternal ruin and damnation But if you are willing now speedily to enter upon this Resolution and Purpose then let me in a few words farther direct you by what means you may render it firm and lasting and may be best enabled to perform the same 1 And first I would advise you to take the next convenient opportunity to confirm this holy Resolution at the Table of the Lord. There solemnly renew your Baptismal Vow Dedicate and give up your self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh and all those wicked ways they would draw you to more especially those sins which you have been formerly most guilty of Henceforth let the Lord Jesus that bought you with his Blood be taken for your only Lord and Master to govern you by his Spirit and by his Laws as ever you desire and hope to be saved by his Death and Resurrection And use frequently to think of this solemn Engagement after you have made it that it may have due force upon you when you are tempted to revolt to any wicked practice Often repeat the same betwixt God and your own Soul and especially renew it by frequent attendance on the Holy Commnnion there seeking for grace and strength from God to walk in his holy ways stedfastly and constantly 2 But that brings me to a second Direction that you should not resolve upon all this in a confidence of your own strength but in the most humble dependance on the grace of God which he is ever willing to bestow on such as seek it earnestly in the way he has appointed by a due attendance on the means of Grace the Word Prayer and Sacraments Wherefore as you have opportunity attend carefully to the reading and hearing of his Word and hide it in your Heart that you may not sin against him And be very much in Prayer to God for his holy Spirit to be given you through his Son Jesus who will powerfully interceed for you and make good his Promises to humble and devout Supplicants Luk. 11. 13. Joh. 16. 23 24. Whenever you are in danger and are assaulted by any temptation to sin or are backward to what is good then especially pray servently for quickning and strengthning Grace and your Prayers shall not be in vain 3 To your Prayers add constant watchfulness over your self at all times and in all places and companies Watch over your thoughts themselves and over your words and actions Satan is ever watching to deceive us and there are many snares and dangers in all our ways and we have corrupt Natures and treacherous Hearts and therefore had need to be very watchful to avoid all occasions of sin as much as possible and to suppress the very first beginnings Think before-hand what Temptations you are like to meet with and fortifie your self against what you cannot shun Do not wilfully run into Danger especially beware of bad Company by which many are drawn back to their former Loosness Be not led away by their Counsel or Examples nor be discouraged by their Jeers and Censures Use often to look back upon your Actions and if you have been drawn into any wilful sin do not make a light matter of it nor yet despair of Pardon if you be truly penitent Wherefore speedily and earnestly betake your self to God by true Repentance begging mercy for Christ's sake and more Grace to strengthen and assist you Renew your Purposes for amendment of Life and set your Watch more strictly for the future 4 To quicken and engage you to this Watchfulness Remember that Almighty God is ever present with you and observes all your ways and takes great delight in your Piety and Holiness but is of purer Eyes than to behold the least iniquity with any pleasure Wherefore always walk as in the presence of this Holy God whether you are alone or in Company 5 Think often how near you stand to another World and what an account you must give to God of all your Deeds done in the Body and so live now as will be most for your comfort at Death and Judgment When the Profits and Pleasures of Sin entice you compare them with the eternal Joys which they will deprive you of and with the eternal Torments they lead to Think whether ever any Man by sinning against God did gain somewhat that 's better than Heaven or that 's worth going to Hell for Let Eternity be very much in your thoughts and the fading Vanities of this World will have little esteem with you Often ponder of those weighty Words of our Blessed Saviour What will it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul Mark 8. 36 37. Lastly In stead of more Directions let me advise you to acquaint your self with your Minister and consult him in the great Concernments of your Soul as Men are wont to do the Lawyer and the Physician in matters that concern their Bodies and Estates Do not think it enough to hear his Sermons in publick but take Advice from him in private and open to him the state and case of your Soul so far as may enable him to give such Directions as are most proper to your Condition This especially you ought to do when you first make entrance upon an Holy Life and do first address your self to the Holy Communion or when you are under any great doubts and trouble of mind and are vexed with sore temptations either of one sort or other or when you are set upon by such that would draw you away from our Church either to Popery or to any other Sect amongst us Then presently betake your self to your Minister And in these or the like Cases take Direction from him and be sure to
THE Christian Monitor Containing an Earnest EXHORTATION TO AN Holy Life With some DIRECTIONS in order thereto Written in a plain and easie Style for all sorts of People Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. Imprimatur C. Alston R. P. D. Hen. Episc Lond. Ã Sacris Domesticis The Second Edition LONDON Printed for Samuel Tidmarsh at the King's Head in Cornhill near the Royal Exchange 1686. Price 3 d. THE Christian Monitor c. CHAP. I. Exhortation to an Holy Life with Motives thereto IT 's very sad to consider not only how few Nations there are in the World which profess Christianity but also of those who do profess it how few there are comparatively that live according to their Profession Wherefore it well beseems all Christ's faithful servants especially the Ministers of his Gospel to use their utmost endeavours by Life and Doctrine by publick and private Exhortations by preaching and writing and by all the ways they are capable to promote true Piety and Holiness amongst all sorts of Men whether high or low rich or poor without which no Man can be happy either in this World or that to come And though I well know that thanks be to God we abound with multitudes of excellent Books written to this end yet are not such short Instructions as these that follow to be condemned as useless since they will it 's like he more generally dispersed and that amongst the very meanest of the People and may more easily be read and remembred by such as have neither time to read large Books nor Money to buy them With such as these I have occasion often to meet and for their sakes chiefly it is that I publish this little Paper being encouraged thereto by some pious Persons both of City and Countrey who intend to give some of them away to poor people about them and thought others might do the like And may it please God to give a Blessing to such a mean Undertaking as this and succeed it to the good of Souls I shall little regard the Censures of the curious Remembring the saying I have somewhere met with of a devout Writer to this purpose That he was desirous his Books should be scattered abroad upon Pedlers Stalls and thence come into the hands of common People for the encreasing of Knowledge and Piety rather than be solemnly laid up and buried in the Libraries of the Learned Wherefore without any more Preface I shall address my self to you for whose sake I write these Lines as a Perswasive to an Holy and Religious Life Now in order thereto let me beseech you to look back upon your Lives past and call your selves to account whether it has been your care and study to live in such a godly manner as becomes those who are baptized into the Name of Christ and after him are called Christians Have you well considered what is the meaning of this Name and what Engagement you lie under to an Holy Life by taking it upon you in Baptism And do you keep well in mind your Baptismal Vow wherein you renounced the Devil the World and the Flesh and promised to be Christ's faithful Souldiers and Servants and so to continue all the days of your Life Have you so far understood and considered these things that you have made it your chief business to walk accordingly Do you watch carefully and fight manfully against your spiritual Enemies Do you live as those that believe the Gospel sincerely endeavouring in all things to know the Will of God and do it Since you take Christ's Name into your mouth are you careful to depart from all iniquity In a word is this your greatest study and design to please and glorifie God and to work out your own salvation If your Conscience can truly witness for you that it is indeed so and that wherein at any time you fall short or do amiss you are heartily grieved for it and do daily labour to amend and grow better If it be thus with you I say then bless God for his grace and mercy hold on and prosper and fear not but God will be with you He will own you as his Children and for his Son Jesus sake will both pardon your sins and assist you by his Grace he will guide you by his Counsel and at length receive you to Glory But pray deal faithfully with your own Souls and tell me Has it not been quite otherwise with you Have you not contented your selves with the bare Name and Profession of Christianity and in the mean time led an ill course of Life directly contrary to your Profession Have you not lived in wilful ignorance of your Duty or in gross sins against your Knowledge Do not the temptations of the Devil the allurements of the World and the Flesh many times prevail more with you than the Commands of Almighty God and the voice of your own Conscience Are you not wont to neglect God's worship and service both in the Church and at home yea do you not profane his holy Name by swearing and cursing Are you not often guilty of lying and slandering of cozening and cheating if not of downright stealing Do you not in your anger use railing and reviling Language Or do you not live in Envy and Malice seeking for revenge of those that have done you any injury Do you not allow your selves in Drunkenness or Whoredom or some other known and wilful sin To be short Is there not something or other in this World that you love more than you do God himself and his Son Jesus Are you not much more concerned for your Bodies than for your precious Souls And do you not more earnestly seek after Food and Raiment and the good things of this Life than after that eternal Kingdom of Glory which God hath promised to his faithful Servants in the World to come If this indeed be your Case I beseech you make a stand and consider well what you have been doing what a sad and dangerous condition you have brought your selves into and what the end of it will be if you hold on in such evil courses Humbly beg of God to make you duly sensible of your sin and danger and to keep the sense thereof so close to your minds that you may be brought not only to mourn for your sins but to loath and abhor them and utterly to forsake the same henceforth resolving by the grace of God wholly to give up your selves to his service and to walk stedfastly in those holy and good ways which he has appointed you This is that to which I do most earnestly desire to perswade you And that I may do my utmost to prevail with you I shall lay before you some very weighty Arguments which I request you seriously to ponder of as you read them and God grant they may have due effect upon the heart of every Reader Amen 1 That you may
be prevailed with to become God's faithful servants consider first That this was the great end for which God made you and keeps you alive and gives you so many mercies of all sorts You can tell I hope that God made you and that he made you to serve him by living according to his Commandments These are some of those first things which Children learn and it were well if when they are grown up to be Men and Women they would use seriously to think of them and practise accordingly The wise God has made all Creatures for some good end or other and he has fitted them all for those ends and purposes for which he made them To Man therefore has he given the use of Reason chiefly to fit him for Religion and to render him capable of knowing loving and serving his great Creator and Benefactor And it is Religion which makes the great difference betwixt a Man and a Beast for bruit Creatures have no knowledge of God no regard to him but are wholly led by their senses and mind nothing else but what is before them here in this World But the poorest Man on Earth who has the use of his Reason is near akin to the very Angels themselves his nature is like theirs and but a little below them so that he may be much taken up in the same holy Works that they are employed in even in loving and praising and adoring the great and good God To this end he may study both the Works and the Word of God which reveal him to us and should continually put us in mind of him And all the good things we enjoy should still make us sensible of the goodness of God from whom they come and fill our hearts with love and thankfulness and our mouths with blessing and praise This is the most proper use of our Reason and this God most justly expects from us Reasonable Creatures and this even the poor man may render without any hindrance to his daily labours and may still keep such an awful sense of God upon his mind as may restrain him from wilful sin and make him careful always to please his Maker And so our Reason was given us to bridle and govern our Appetites our Lusts and Passions that we should not be led away into gluttony and drunkenness into wantonness and uncleanness nor into rage and fury like bruit Beasts that have no understanding but should live soberly and chastly quietly and peaceably with all Men doing them all the good we can For such holy purposes as these chiefly was our Reason bestow'd on us and therefore in this manner ought it to be employ'd Certainly since God hath made us of a nature so much better than Birds or Beasts he expects from us other works and services than he does from them They know nothing of God that made them nor have they any knowledge of another Life after this but when they die there 's an end of them But to us hath God given immortal Souls of more value than the whole World and for this end hath he created us that we might serve and honour him here in this Life and so may live with him and enjoy him for ever in the World to come Now if this be the end of our Creation ought we not to live up to it Do we not see all other things answer the end for which they were made The Sun gives Light by day and the Moon by night The Earth brings forth Corn and Grass and the Trees bear Fruit. The Horse the Cow and the Sheep with many other Creatures afford us much service and benefit And shall Man alone be useless and unfruitful and live to no good purpose When they are all so ready to serve us shall not we chearfully serve him that made us for his own service Surely we cannot think that the wise God sent us into the World only to eat and drink to sleep and play or to work hard for a poor Livelihood If this were all we had better have been made bruit Creatures or never have been made at all Much less can we think that the Holy God made us on purpose to sin against him to dishonour his Name and provoke him to anger He did not give us Reason to make us crafty and cunning for the World that we might know how to cozen and cheat our Neighbours He did not give us Tongues to swear and curse with or to talk foolishly and filthily let us not then use them to any such ill purposes Since God has given us precious immortal Souls let us not live like Beasts that perish wallowing in the mire of base sensual Lusts and Pleasures By this means we become worse than Bruits themselves for we debase our own Natures we abuse our Reason to our own shame and hurt and to God's displeasure Thus we cross the end of our Creation and are more stupid and ungrateful than the very Ox or Ass for they know their owner and do good service to those that keep and feed them Isa. 1. 2 3. O let us not give God cause to complain of us as he there does of the Jews that he nourished and brought up Children and they rebelled against him Think how grievous it is to you that have Children after all your care and kindness after all your cost and labour to have them pâ—ove stubborn and disobedient loose and idle Prodigals O see then that you be not such toward your heavenly Father who made you and preserves you and every day renews his mercies upon you He keeps us alive and makes our lives comfortable He gives and continues to us our Reason and Senses our Health and Strength Food and Raiment and all the good things we enjoy He supplies our wants and helps us in all our distresses He gives us light by day and rest in the night He enables us to follow our callings and gives a blessing to our labours that we may provide for our selves and Families And does not this good God well deserve all the love and service which we can possibly render him O how can we find in our hearts wilfully to offend him who thus delights in doing us good Foolish and unthankful Wretches we are thus ill to require the Lord for all his loving kindness We could not deal so with any Friend or Neighbour on Earth that had been always kind and loving to us Are not Servants bound to work for them who maintain them and pay them Wages And ought not Children to obey their Parents who begot them and brought them up How much more then ought we to obey God our Father who gave us life at first and still prolongs it from one day to another when he could in a moment cut us off in our sins and throw us into Hell But in much mercy he spares us and gives us space to Repent and is very unwilling to destroy us and therefore waits long to be gracious to us
to see how you would perform the same Take heed then of abusing his mercy and breaking your promise Moreover I might shew how your professing to believe the Creed engages you to live well according to the holy faith you profess which is a doctrine according to godliness But lastly the very prayers you put up to God lay the same engagement on you even to serve and please this God whom you Worship To instance briefly in the Lords prayer whilst we call God Our Father c. ought we not to love and honour him to obey him and submit to him as our heavenly Father Whilst we pray that his name may be hallowed his Kingdom come and his will done in Earth as it is in Heaven ought we not our selves to honour his name and advance his Kingdom by obeying his Laws and by doing his will constantly and chearfully as the Angels do in Heaven to the utmost of our power Praying for daily Bread teaches our dependance upon God and engages us to serve him by whom we are maintained When we pray God to forgive our Trespasses as we forgive others this strictly binds us to forgive those that offend us as ever we hope for mercy from God And when we pray not to be led into temptation but delivered from Evil this should restrain us from running into temptation and make us careful to avoid all sin and the occasions of it To the same purpose I might also mention the Prayers of the Church to which I hope you come frequently Therein you begin with the Confession of your sins and ought you not to forsake as well as confess them And in the end of the confession you pray God for Christs sake to grant that you may lead godly righteous and sober lives And almost in every prayer you will find somewhat to this effect Now I hope you are in good earnest in these your prayers else you do mock God and affront him instead of worshipping and pleasing him But if you do heartily desire these things which you pray for then you will do your part for the attainment of them and will diligently endeavour to live in so holy and good a manner as you pray that you may do And if you thus add diligence to your prayers Gods grace will never be wanting for your assistance 5. Consider also how just and equal all Gods commandments are such that our own Reason cannot but approve of them as being most agreeable to us as we are Reasonable Creatures To instance in the chief of them is it not most just and fit that we should love God above all who is the best and most perfect of all Beings and from whom we receive all our good things Ought we not to pray to him who alone can hear and help us and to give thanks and praise to him who is the Father of mercies Is it not most reasonable that Children should obey their Parents and Subjects their Rulers and that all men should live in peace and love with one another and speak truly and deal honestly as they would be dealt with Is it not most fit and decent for a Man to eat and drink moderately so as makes most for his health To be modest and chast in all his conversation Will not every Man 's own Reason acknowledge the equity and fitness of these and the like precepts And for some that do seem more severe there may be given very good reason for them also So that plainly all Gods commands are the wise and wholesome counsels of a most tender Father who forbids his Children nothing but what 's hurtful and requires nothing of them but what makes for their own good even to deal iustly to love mercy and to walk humbly with their God Mic. 6. 8. Christs Yoke is easie and his burden light Matt. 11. 30. Gods service is perfect freedom as we daily stile it in our prayers And his commandments are not grievous 1 Joh. 5. 3. Shall we not then be so dutiful to our heavenly Father yea so wise for our own good as to obey these most reasonable and gracious laws which he has given us So just and equal they are that we cannot break them without offering a kind of violence to our selves and going contrary to the reason of our own mind They are light to the eyes and joy to the heart sweeter to a good Man than honey and the honey-comb as the Psalmist oft speaks As suitable are Gods commands to our natures and as useful and healthful to our Souls as the most wholesome food to our Bodies And for a Man to direct his whole carriage and behaviour according to the laws of God is as much his wisdom as it is to go cloathed in decent Apparel and to eat and drink what is good for his nourishment But on the other hand for one to run naked about the Streets to fill his mouth with mire and Dirt to cut and mangle his own Flesh is not a greater sign of folly and madness than for a Man to live according to his own lusts rather than after the laws of God which are so agreeable to our Reason and do so plainly conduce to our own truest interest and advantage both in this Life and that to come as will appear by what follows 6. Consider therefore in the next place that it is a most certain truth That the leading of an holy and good Life is in all respects very greatly for a Man 's own benefit and comfort even in this present World Godliness is profitable for all things It makes for the quiet of our Minds the health of our Bodies the encrease of our Estates and procures us much credit and esteem much love and good will among our Neighbours Yea it commonly brings along with it all manner of Blessings and makes the enâ—oyment of them more sweet and pleasant and keeps off a great deal of trouble which wicked men bring upon themselves and affords much support and ease under those afflictions which the providence of God may lay upon us Insomuch that no Man of what rank and condiâ—ion soever can lead a truly comfortable Life except he lead an holy and good life All this is frequently taught in Scripture and may easily be manifested by clear Reason Or if that be not sufficient it is also most plainly to be 〈◊〉 by daily experience that they who truly fear God have much more peace and comfort in this World than wicked and loose livers that make no Conscience of their Ways If I should make the comparison only betwixt a sober Man and a Drunkard which do you think has the better of it in this Life How often do the great drinkers not only waste their Estates but destroy their Health weaken their Brains and shorten their Lives How often do they fall into quarrels get wounds and bruises and sometimes death it self either by fighting or by one sad accident or other Sometimes the very Children in
overcome evil by doing of good If another strike us we may not strike again if he rail upon us and revile us we must not return the same ill Language but either by silence or by gentle and soft answers endeavour to appease his wrath For the Rule is not to deal with others as they deal with me but as I in reason desire to be dealt with and another Man's fault will not excuse mine If he do me an injury I must not be judge in my own Cause nor take upon me to revenge it but in weighty Cases may fly to the Magistrate for relief But upon no account whatever may we bear any grudge or hatred in our Hearts against any Man though never so wicked or never so much our enemy but we must pity him and pray for him that God would give him a better mind If ever we hope to find mercy with God and have our trespasses forgiven we must forgive those that offend us as we learn from the Lord's Prayer and many most plain places of Scripture See Matth. 5. 44 c. Matth. 18. 21. to the end Rom. 12. 14. to the end We must shew meekness and gentleness to all men and never willingly say or do any thing to provoke another to anger nor should we be easily provoked but very easily appeased and reconciled It 's very sad to consider what wretched and miserable Lives many of the poorer sort lead by their continual brawling and scolding quarrelling and contending with one another and sometimes when they have scarce Money to buy Bread they 'l throw it away in vexatious Law-Suits meerly out of Spite and Revenge And the People of this Rank ought especially to beware of envying those that are in better Condition than themselves We ought to have that true kindness and good will for all Men that we should be glad of their prosperity though we our selves be in affliction as on the other hand we ought to have great compassion for those in misery though we be in prosperity And let such that are in want take heed that their Necessities put them upon no unlawful Course for their Relief Particularly beware of stealing any thing though of a small value By degrees it 's to be feared you will go on to greater matters and so may bring your selves to shame and punishment in this World as well as that to come The best way to avoid this is to be very diligent in your lawful Calling as the Apostle directs in that place before named Eph. 4. 28. If you are not able to work it 's lawful to beg But by no means betake your selves to this lazy unprofitable Life of begging if you are able to subsist by any other lawful course He that will not work when he can deserves not to eat But rather than either steal or starve you may seek for Relief from your Neighbour's Charity But do not go about to deceive him by borrowing what you know you are never like to pay for this is downright cheating Rather deal plainly and make known your Necessities If you trust in God and do your duty he will take care of you And though you may be in straits sometimes yet still you will find a supply And to prevent your poverty let me especially warn you against that common bruitish sin of Drunkenness which brings both this and many other mischiefs along with it as I have before told you Indeed it hinders every thing that 's good and leads Men into all manner both of sin and misery This Vice it is that makes more Beggars than any other cause Wherefore if you have any regard to your Families any love to Soul or Body avoid all riot and excess Eat and drink moderately as may tend to keep you best in health and make you most fit for the service of God and your own Callings And lastly beware of that filthy sin of Whoredom which very often goes along with Drunkenness and as often brings the curse of God both upon Men's Bodies and Estates And to keep you innocent avoid idleness as well as intemperance And flie from all lewd and wicked company where you are in danger of being enticed and ensnared and do not so much as allow your selves in any unclean thoughts or desires nor in filthy Discourses or in any wanton carriage and behaviour For the preventing of all wickedness in this kind God hath allowed Marriage which is said to be honourable in all but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Hib. 13. 4. Wherefore let them who are in that state keep strictly true to their Marriage Vow And all both Married and Single preserve both Body and Soul so chast and pure that the holy Spirit of God may now dwell in their hearts and they may be fit to dwell for ever in the presence of the most holy God And thus I have briefly given you an account wherein consists that holiness of life to which all Christians are obliged by the Precepts of our Blessed Saviour and by their Baptismal Vow which binds them to keep his Precepts and to follow his Example who himself lived in the same holy manner that he taught and hath commanded all that say they abide in him to walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2. 6. The summ of all you have in few words which the Gospel teaches even that we should deny ungodliness and all wordly lusts and live soberly righteously and piously in the World Tit. 2. 11 12. And now let me again beseech you seriously to consider whether it has been your care to live such holy and good lives yea or no. And whereinsoever your Conscience does accuse you that you have neglected the duties God has commanded or committed those sins which he hath forbidden do you humbly acknowledge and confess the same to Almighty God with true godly sorrow for the same earnestly begging Mercy and Pardon for Christs sake who dyed on the Cross for sinners and through whom all that confess and forsake their sins shall find mercy Wherefore do you henceforward resolve by his Grace that you will forsake your sins and amend your lives and make it your chief business to keep Consciences void of offence toward God and Man not allowing your selves in any known sin nor in the wilful neglect of any known Duty Do not object against this and say that it is impossible to lead such an holy Life For thousands in the World of all Ranks and Conditions have done it in all Ages by the assistance of God's Grace which you shall never want if you seek it earnestly and improve it diligently And though there may at first be some difficulty in leaving an ill course yet by degrees it will grow easie and you will then find nothing so sweet and pleasant as Religion and Vertue And do not I beseech you fancy that it is not for poor people to think of being so Religious and godly that this is only for the Rich who have
little else to do Why will not you that are Poor have as much care of your own Souls as the Rich and study to be happy as well as they By this means you will be even with them yea much happier than they even in this life except they be Good as well as Great What is there in all I have said but even the poorest may perform if they have but a willing mind May you not love God and your Neighbour be sober and chast meek and humble pray to God and praise his name c. Nay is not this the much better way to keep you from poverty or to help you out of it Is it not much cheaper to live soberly and honestly than to live in Drunkenness and Whoredom and such like wastful sins Does it not cost you much more to go to Law for revenge than to forgive an injury One vice costs more the maintaining than ten vertues And I am confident more Families are brought to Poverty by gratifying their Lusts than by providing for their Children how many soever they be Is it not think you much better for your selves and Families to spend the Lords-day in Gods service both in publick and private than to wast your time and mony at the Alehouse Daily experience shows that it is not Religion but the want of it that makes Men poor and miserable Besides that such good People have Gods blessing and favours as I have already shewed and therefore hee 'l be sure to take care of them and theirs And pray do not think that you shall be saved meerly because you are poor For if you be Wicked and Ungodly you will certainly be miserable in the next World as well as this Lazarus was not saved because he was poor but because he was a pious good Man And on the other hand Dives was not damn'd for being rich but because he was luxurious and proud and wholly given up to pamper and adorn his Carcase Let me further warn you against two or three dangerous mistakes that harden many Men in their sins Beware of thinking that it 's enough for a Man to be baptized and keep his Church and go to Prayers and Sermons and sometimes to the Communion and say his Prayers in private that this is enough to prove him a good Christian and make sure of Salvation All this is very good but this will not serve turn except our hearts be so thorowly sanctified by the Grace of God that we do truly love God above all and set our hearts on the joyes of Heaven and love our Neighbours and be true and just in our dealings Temperate and Chast in our Conversation as is before described And this is the great end of Prayers Sermons and Sacraments to make us more and more holy in heart and life without which we shall be rather worse than better for them Matt. 7. 21 22 23. Be not so weak as to think you may be saved by a good belief alone by your faith in Christ and trusting in God without obedience to his Commands It is for Christ's sake only you are saved but he will save none but those who obey him Heb. 5. 9. And that only is true saving Faith which purifies the heart and produces obedience as you have heard before And since God has plainly told us that we cannot be saved without holiness if we take up a foolish confidence that we may be saved without it this is not trusting in God but in our own fancies and the Devils delusions We may safely trust in Gods promises but then let us see to perform the conditions and become such an humble holy people as he has promised for Christs sake to own and save Take heed also of mistaking the nature of Repentance as if it were only being a little sorry for our sins and crying to God for mercy and then all will be well though we go on still in our old ways But this is a most dangerous mistake For a Man never truly repents till he forsakes his sin and changes his course When the Drunkard becomes Sober and the Profane Man a devout Worshipper of God and so continues True Repentance changes the heart and life of the sinner And lastly Do not think it enough to forsake some sins and keep others to do some good duties and neglect others and then excuse your selves by saying it is your failing Every Man has his failing and this is mine So says the Drunkard and the Whoremonger and so says the angry Man when he Swears or Curses or gives bad language But such sins as are committed against knowledge and Conscience and continued from time to time when we have leisure to think beforehand and prevent them these are to be reckoned as wilfull sins not as failings Especially such gross sins as Drunkenness Whoredom common Swearing or Lying and the like are not to be reckoned as failings Indeed whatever sin a Man loves and pleads for and allows himself in is not a meer infirmity but a wilfull transgression A good Man hates all sin as he does sickness and strives and watches and prays against it He hates every false way and has a respect to all Gods Commands A true Christian must be an entirely good Man all of a piece A great matter I find it is with many people that they do no wrong to no body nor have any malice in their heart and therefore they think themselves in good condition God-ward But though this is one good part of our duty yet it is but a part We must also see that we do not wrong Almighty God and our own Souls by setting our hearts chiefly on this World by neglecting his Worship and Service by living in excess or uncleanness or any other known sin We must be both pious toward God loyal to our Prince just and charitable to our Neighbour humble and sober every way holy and good if we will approve our selves to be Christians indeed He that wilfully offends in one point and allows himself therein is guilty in effect of breaking the whole Law For he despises Gods authority and if he meets with the same temptation will commit any other sin And as is commonly and truly said in this case one Stab though but with a Pen-kife may wound a Man as mortally as twenty thrusts with a Sword so one sin loved and delighted in may damn a Mans Soul as well as a thousand James 2. 10. Having thus endeavoured briefly to remove your Objections and Mistakes I do now again in the last place come to enforce my Exhortation that you would seriously and stedfastly resolve to cast away every sin and most entirely devote your selves to the leading such a godly righteous and sober Life as you are bound to by your Christian Baptism If you are in dispute with your selves whether you should resolve upon it pray look over the Arguments before laid down and ponder them in your mind and then certainly you cannot
follow his wholsom Counsel and desire his Prayers to God for you I know in large Parishes Ministers are not able to have a particular knowledge of every Person but yet all that know the worth of Souls and the price that was paid for them will be ready to give attendance to the meanest of their People that shall apply themselves to them for Advice and Comfort and will be glad of all opportunities to promote the Honour and Interest of their Saviour and the good of precious Souls committed to their Care And thus have I as plainly and as fully as I well could in so little room directed you in that holy way which leads to eternal Glory and have shewn you what great Reason you have to walk in that way and to continue therein to the end As to those who desire larger Directions next to the holy Scriptures which I beseeeh you to read frequently with humility and seriousness especially the New Testament next to them I shall referr you only to that pious and most useful Book The whole Duty of Man And heartily I wish that every poor Family in the Kingdom was furnished with one of those Books together with a Bible and Common Prayer Book which might all be purchased for much less than five Shillings and therefore it 's great pity they should be any where wanting Though alas I know there are many Families of poor People where none of them can read and so Books to them are useless Great Charity therefore it would be for rich Landlords and Gentlemen to see that the Children of their poor Tenants and Neighbours be put out to School and then to bestow at least Bibles upon them that the knowledge of God and Religion may be promoted amongst them which would make greatly for the good and welfare both of Church and State For though Brain-sick Opinions and false Principles may make Men proud and head-strong and troublesome to their Governours yet solid Knowledge and sincere Godliness will make Men humble and meek quiet and peaceable obedient to Magistrates and Ministers full of Charity to their Neighbours and ready to every good Work And I am sure an increase of this truly Religious Temper would be one of the greatest Blessings that can be bestow'd upon this Earth and would settle Kingdoms and Churches Towns and Families in Peace and Concord which almost every where are divided amongst themselves as well as against one another And by such blessed effects of true Religion something of Heaven would be brought down upon Earth and our Souls would be well fitted for Heaven when we are called off from this Earth into those happy Regions above where there is nothing else but Peace and Holiness and Love and Joy And may it please God to bless these plain and short Instructions for the enlightning of any minds with that Wisdom from above which is thus pure and peaceable then shall I obtain my Design and have great cause to be thankful And that the Reader may joyn with me in these Wishes I have annexed hereto a Prayer for Grace to lead an Holy Life And if he will but add diligent endeavours to frequent and servent Prayers neither his Labour nor mine will be in vain through the Grace and Blessing of Almighty God from whom comes every good and perfect Gift to whom be given all Honour and Glory both now and for ever Amen A PRAYER Chiefly for the assistance of God's grace in order to the leading an Holy Life O Most holy and ever blessed Lord God I do humbly cast down my self before thee acknowledging and lamenting my own sinfulness and earnestly begging thy grace and mercy through the Lord Jesus our only Mediatour and Advocate I confess O God I am a vile sinner polluted from the very Womb but since I came to the use of my Reason I have defiled my self with many wilful and hainous transgressions I have sadly neglected thy Service and dishonoured thy Name and have been greatly wanting in those Duties which I owe to thee my God to my Neighbour and to my own Soul and have not lived in such a godly righteous charitable and sober manner as I ought to have done But have often acted contrary to my own Reason and Conscience and to the plain Precepts of thy Word and contrary to my own Promises and Vows for better Obedience O Lord give me a clear sight of my sins and such a deep sense of the evil of my ways that my Heart may be truly humbled and broken in the remembrance thereof And for the Lord Jesus sake who died for Sinners be merciful to me O Father of Mercies pardon all my Iniquities and let them not be remembred against me to my Condemnation either in this World or that to come Nor is it only Pardon that I beg but most earnestly I beseech thee by thy Holy Spirit to sanctifie me both in Body and Soul that being made pure and holy on Heart and Life I may serve thee diligently all my days on Earth and so may enjoy thee for ever in Heaven I am fully convinced that it is both my duty and my happiness to fear and serve thee the great and glorious God who hast made me and redeemed me and hitherto graciously preserved me I acknowledge thy Service to be perfect freedom and all thy Laws to be holy just and good Wherefore I desire utterly to renounce and forsake every evil way and most entirely devote my self to serve and please thee in newness of Life But thou O Lord knowest the weakness and corruption of my Nature and how by evil customs I have made my self more prone to sin more backward to that which is good O do thou throughly change my Nature by thy Grace that I may hate and abhor all wickedness and take delight in the ways of Piety and Holiness Let no unmortified just remain in my Soul but do thou purifie and cleanse me from Pride and Covetousness from Envy and Malice and from all impure and sensual affections and desires and enrich me with all the Graces of thy holy Spirit Give me such a clear knowledge of thy infinite goodness and of all thy glorious perfections that I may ever humbly admire and adore thee and love thee with all my Heart and Soul and cleave to thee as my only portion preferring thy favour before all the enjoyments of this World Help me always firmly to trust in thee and freely to leave all my Affairs to thy wise and gracious Providence absolutely resigning my Will to thy holy Will in all things Make me truly thankful for all thy mercies and patient under afflictions By thy teaching let me learn to be content in all Estates and Conditions And good God suffer me not in the greatest difficulties and dangers to distrust thy mercies or take any unlawful course for my Relief I beg from thee my daily Bread and beseech thee to give me an Heart well satisfied with what thou seest
and inspired by the Holy Ghost to be a light to our feet and a lantern to our path to direct us in the plain way to everlasting life 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And the holy Sacraments were appointed for the encrease of grace to all that make a right use of them And our Blessed Saviour did at fâ—rst send abroad his Apostles to Preach the Gospel to all the World and hath ever since continued a successâ—on of Ministers in his Church whose standing office it is to administer the word and Sacraments to watch over the Souls of the people to instruct and admonish them both in publick and private and to use their utmost diligence to bring them to the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus And God is ever ready to accompany their endeavours with his blessing Do you not often find his good Spirit putting good thoughts and motions into your mind inclining you to that which is holy and good checking and restraining you when you are running into evil But on the other hand it 's the evil Spirit even the Devil himself that tempts you to sin and would hinder you from your Duty It 's the Devil that tempts Men to pride and malice and to all manner of wickedness For he being a proud malicious and most wicked Spirit would have Men to be like himself that so they may be for ever miserable with him Will you not then resist the Devil the great enemy of your Souls and be led and guided by Gods good Spirit and follow his Motions and the directions of his word which lead to happiness O do not grieve this Blessed Spirit who alone can give us true comfort do not resist and quench his motions nor provoke him to depart from you and leave you to your own lusts and to the power of Satan who seeks your ruin Moreover as the Devil has his instruments to draw Men to wickedness one ill man tempting another so Ministers are sent from God to draw you to righteousness and holiness They are the Embassadors and Messengers of Christ and do in his name bescech you to be reconciled to God who is most willing to be reconciled to you if you will but cast away those wicked works which provoke him to anger 2 Cor. 5. 20. O how will it rejoyce the hearts of your Ministers that truly love your Souls to see the success of their labours to have you come to them enquiring what you must do to be saved declaring your repentance for your former evil Courses and your resolution henceforth to become new Creatures Certainly we exhort you to nothing but what is highly reasonable and for your own benefit whilst we perswade you to return to the favour of God Why then will you not hearken to us If a message of mercy should be sent you from the King when you were in danger of death for Rebellion would you not most gladly and thankfully receive it And will you not be as thankful and obedient to the King of kings and as wife to save your Souls as to preserve your Bodies And beside his Word and Ministers God also pleads with you by his providences to bring you to repentance Sometimes he sends afflictions to correct you for your faults to shew you the evil of sin and draw you home to himself and at other times he sends many mercies as I have told you to soften your hearts to engage and allure you to his service And such good use we ought to make of all Gods dealings with us 4. Consider further what engagements you ly under to an holy life by your own profession promises and vows You profess and call your selves Christians the Disciples and followers of Christ Ought you not then to follow his example and obey his Commands if you will make good that name You would think it a great disgrace not to be taken for a Christian but for a Turk or Jew Beware then lest you bring this disgrace upon your selves by an unchristian temper of mind and ill course of life If you are false or cruel Covetous or Lustful like a Turk or Jew it matters little what you call your selves He is not a Christian that 's one outwardly but he that has the same mind and spirit that was in Christ Jesus God will not at the last day judge of men by their names and titles but by their hearts and lives Only it will go much worse with a man that calls himself a Christian and yet lives like an Heathen or Infidel And pray consider how by your Baptism you are solemnly listed under Christs banner to fight against the Devil the World and the Flesh and by the keeping this vow you shew your selves to be Christians indeed But if you are led away by the temptations of Satan and do his works and are ensnared by the vanities of the World the lusts and pleasures of the Flesh you do in effect renounce your Baptism Besides this have you not renewed this same vow at the Holy Communion there openly professing your belief in Christ crucified and promising obedience to him If you have not received this Holy Sacrament though you have long been at years of discretion you then shew your selves by this neglect to be no obedient Disciples of Christ since you do not obey his plain command to do this in remembrance of him Luk. 22. 19. And indeed I fear that many careless people will not come to the Communion because they think it would bind them to lead such a strict and holy life as they have no mind to But do not they cast off Jesus Christ from being their Master who look upon his commands as too strict and severe and will not promise to obey him Yea do they not thereby even disown their Baptism by which they were bound to this obedience So that the same reason which keeps them from the Communion it 's like would keep them from being Baptized if it were yet to be done And what sort of Christians are they that would reject Christian Baptism because it engages them to an holy life If you are not guilty of this neglect but do sometimes come to the Lords Supper to keep up the remembrance of his death and sufferings Then pray consider that by receiving this holy Sacrament you do solemnly renew your vows to be Christ's faithful Servants and Disciples and to walk in sincere obedience to all his holy Laws as you hope for Salvation by his death Wherefore may I not well beseech you to use all due care to live according to this your promise and engagement What a shame is it for a Man to be false to his word much more to his Oath O do not then break that Oath which you have made to God himself by taking this holy Sacrament And call to mind if you have not sometimes on a Sick-bed or in some great danger made the same promise and vow And has not God spared you