will be of no effect until we have entirely resigned our selves and moulded our affections into that frame as whatever be His Dispensations to us-ward we can cordially say with old Ely 1 Samuel 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good unto him 21 Hate and eschew Pride which is rightly termed the Devils sin for it was the cause of the Fall of that Creature from a most excellent â—tation and if we could seriously and unbyasedly look upon it we would see great cause to abhor it It is not only without reason but against reason for any proud person by their being so are so far from conciliating respect or any thing else desireable as it do's directly procure to them disrespect and doth in every thing prejudge them for the Proud have this misfortune to displease every body but themselves It is impossible a vain man should love to be blamed and a man when he hateth reproof ought not to be accounted a reasonable Creature and Pride is unspeakably disadvantagious by its being hateful to God as in Prov. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil and arrogancy c. And the sad effects thereof are foretold Prov. 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty Spirit before a fall And the punishments threatned therefore are apparent Prov. 15.25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud c. Psal 119.25 Thou hast rebuked the proud which are cursed and in Prov. 16.5 The Lord declareth his abhorrence thereof and the undoubted certainty of its punishment Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord though hand joyn in hand he shall not go unpunished And Psal 101.5 him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer 22. As the extream folly of Pride is apparent from many places of Scripture so are the advantages of being truly humble as in Psal 9.12 He forgeteth not the cry of the humble and in Prov. 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit And in Isa 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty One whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit c. And as pride in heart doth altogether incapacitate a person from drawing near to God in Duty so Humility hath the promise of being heard and accepted of as in Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humle thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 23. Be sober and moderate in your Apparel for excess therein is most unbecoming a man and inconsistent with reason forbear following of Fashions or appearing singular in being too much opposite to them a decent comeliness therein answerable to your Station is desireable for it is obvious that Cloaths can add no worth to the Owners thereof and it is intollerable Vanity their valuing of themselves thereupon 24. Anger is almost always the effect of Pride and as you respect Soul or Body strive against it surely it is at no time advantagious and the folly thereof when the Cloud it procures is taken off our Reason is obvious to any that hath the use of Reason we ought truly to be angry at nothing but sin for Anger is fitly called Madness and Fury and Bruitishness arise from it I think you need only behold the Actions of any person inflamed with Anger to satisfy you of the truth of all that Tongue or Pen can express against it you may from Scripture be fully satisfied of its being exceeding sinful you will find it dehorted and the folly thereof held forth Eccles 7.9 Be not hasty in spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fools And Psal 37.8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath fret not thy self in any ways to do evil How often are we angry when there is no cause and when our Corruption may be stirred up to that Passion We are told Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression And in Prov. 14.17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly and in vers 29. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly 25. Endeavour in all your Conversation such a meek and peaceable deportment as becomes a Christian which will even from these that are much otherwise disposed procure you an advantagious Testimony and the advantage to your self will be so great as is hardly expressible for as Pride and Anger clouds Reason and discomposeth from proceeding rationally either in thinking or doing so meekness of Temper leaves you at full liberty to use all your Reason and will even procure compassion from others if your Ignorance or Corruption should bring you under any inconvenience and the benefite thereof is clearly holden forth from Scripture where it hath the promise of temporal Blessings as in Psal 37.11 But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace Yea it hath the promise of Eternal Life Psal 149.4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautify the meek with salvation And in Mat. 11.29 We have the blessed Example of our Lovely Saviour where he says learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls 26. Beware of Envy as what hath nothing in it but what is to be hated for as it is hurtful and intolerable burdensome even to those who entertain it so it is altogether inconsistent with Society and the Rules of Christianity Yea the envious person doth directly wage War with God and repines at all his Dispensations to the advantage of others and certainly these persons must be miserable whose Sorrows arise from the satisfaction of the Publick and whose happiness proceeds from the misery of those of their Acquaintance Covetousness is an Evil against all reason and is to be hated because of the sordid baseness that attendeth it how bruitishly foolish are the ways of the Covetous And they being the delight of the Wicked God hateth them as the Psalmist doth well express in Psal 10.3 For the wicked boasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth Yea the Holy Ghost holds it forth to be Idolatry Eph. 5.5 For this ye know that no covetous man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God And in vers 3. he urgeth it may not so much as be named among Christians Yet would you make conscience of living frugally and whatever Station you are in and Profession you follow let Vertue and Industry be your Guides and not Pleasure and Idleness Undertake nothing without your Sphere or above your Capacity and let all your Ends and the means whereby you intend to come to them be just and honest in the sight of God and man Be content with
especially in the New Testament by our Lord and his Apostles is beyond exception the most rational and convenient even for the well-being of Society and good of Mankind in the World and far preferable to the best of Rules and Laws that ever were given by any man or Societie of men I shall forbear writing of many things which might occur to me and does intreat your whole Conversation may evidence the belief of your Being to appear before the Tribunal of God in Judgment and shall recommend your being careful of some few things in your Walk First towards God Secondly Towards your self and Thirdly Towards our Neighbours You are in all you do to respect the Glory of God there being no action of your life but it truly ought to be done to that end We are with all carefulness to avoid every thing sinful and to go about even the most indifferent of our Concerns in obedience to his Command Love to him being the Motive and his Glory the Aim of all we do wherefore make Conscience of seeking of God strength enabling you to every Duty I shall not nor am I fitted to enlarge upon what might be said to what is Duty and shall recomend your reading practical Pieces of Divinity but above all be in a constant and humble dependence upon God for his Grace enabling you to serve him and seek for Christ's sake a broken heart and strength against every Corruption Cry with earnestness that you never be left to the power of your wicked self and beware of seeing any Merit in what ever is possible for you to do for only in Christ is your acceptance with God Son whilst I am writing what occurs to me of your duty God-ward I am sensible it may be truly said to be duty towards your self the Salvation of your Soul not of Merit but Free-grace being what is annexed thereto 1. Have your heart filled with faith in God and his Son Christ Jesus and love to him and the fear of his holy Name seek not to satisfie your shallow Reason in divine things but as the Apostle requires 2 Cor 10.5 Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought unto the obedience of Christ For to give your Assent meerly upon a sensible or rational Demonstration is no divine faith and truly to believe in a divine sense is to assent to a preposition upon the credit of the Revelation though we cannot make it out by our Reason And this is to have our thoughts brought into Captivity unto the Obedience of Christ for mans reason being corrupted by Adam's fall it objects against several divine Propositions Saying how can one be three and three one How could the divine and humane Nature unite in one Person How can the Dead rise These and what else are above â—â—r Reason and contained in the blessed Word of God are to be believed because asserted therein and at all times our hearts ought to be fill'd with Love to God and his Son our Saviour and Redeemer whom we are to love with all our Soul with all our Mind and with all our strength for whatever in Creatures may be a Motive to love as Goodness Power Kindness Veracity c. Are in our blessed God in an unspeakable superlative degree He is of infinite goodness and excellencie and there is nothing good in the world but what hath received all its Goodness from him and he is wonderfully Kind and Merciful to Souls and Bodies of poor Sinners Having when miserable Man had lost himself by sinning against his Command offered that wonderful way of satisfying Divine Justice by sending his Son to the world who took upon him the nature of frail Man and suffered that shamefull death of the Cross and all to stand betwixt Sinners and Justice And are not our Bodies supplyed with all good things we enjoy through his care and providence 2. Make Conscience of living as in the sight of Him the only living and true God before whose Tribunal you must appear to give an Account of your Actions Be diligent having Faith with Knowledge and attention of Mind in reading the Scriptures and seek of God and depend upon him for his Holy Spirit enabling you to that and every Duty I have from my experience observed that being up late at night and lying a Bed in the morning are a hinderance of the Duties required of us for not only has God appointed the Night for rest and sleep and the Day for Exercise but you will find the advantage of making use of the Morning for your private Devotion and that so early as you may have convenient and uninterrupted time for the performance thereof before either Business or Companie may have the occasion of tempting you to a Diversion You will find David's practise in the 5th Psalm and 3 v. In the morning O Lord will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up 3. The end of your living being Gods Glory your last thought at night and first in the morning ought to be of God Think with seriousness of your own misery through your Original and Actual Sin and of the unexpressible Goodness and Mercy of God in Jesus Christ to you and every lost Sinner that shall have grace to lay hold on him in and by Christ And when you arise endeavour by meditation to bring your heart to such a Frame as may fit you for drawing near to God who albeit he be merciful yet is the great and only God altogether unaccessible to sinners not coming to him in and through Christ And surely an Ignorant Wandering Unbelieving and hardned Heart has no ground to expect Access to God in Christ our Lord. You would stirr up your self not only to Prayer in the morning but to reading some part of the Scriptures and I do advise you when first you do retire your self after you have endeavoured by some suitable Mediation to bring up your heart to an awfull Sense of the presence of God to whom you are about to dare to speak that you fall down upon your Knees and lifting up your heart to God in some few and suitable words seek to him with earnestness for Grace enabling you to read his Word aright and suitably to put up your desires in prayer and whenever you do pray always express your thankfulness and magnifie the Name of God for his Mercy to lost Sinners in Jesus Christ then read a portion of Scripture as you find convenient to stint your self to I think it would not be amiss you did every morning read a Psalm or two and an Chapter of the new or old Testaments as you have read through the Psalms you would begin again and think it not too much if you should read them a thousand times and for the old and new Testament there is no part of either ought to be omitted but especially you would read the new Testament
to and keeping it in a tender frame yea the advantages thereof are so great as may stir up to the redeeming time for the exercise thereof even from what may lawfully be allowed to our worldly Concerns or bodily Refreshment and how much more then ought we when we are alone guard against our minds going out after foolish and vain fancies if not what is grossly sinful in the sight of God Surely if we had an awful sense of his omnipresence and omniscience we would dare to be thinking upon what is unallowable in his sight and if we had a sense of our miserable condition through sin our hearts would ever be ready to take hold of all occasions of serious thinking how we should evite the Curse and Wrath of God to all eternity which unavoidably will be the Portion of hardned sinners not coming to God in and through Christ David in Ps 4.4 Requires we stand in aw and sin not and that we commune with our hearts upon our beds whereby you may be satisfied it hath been the practise of the Godly seriously to meditate at all times The subject Matter for your meditation is obvious and will easily occur as the Debt we ow to the Justice of God for sin the certainty of Death and after that of Judgment the misery of such as shall be Doomed to Hell with the Devils and so for ever separate from the Presence of God His incomprchensible Mercy to lost sinners in Jesus Christ and the Fulness of the unspeakable Joys that is secured to such as heartily and humbly lays hold thereof yea innumerable are the Subjects of that exercise that will with ease offer themselves and I advise for your Direction and encouragement to that Duty that you read the last Part of Mr. Baxter's Saints rest which doth fully Treat thereof 8. Every Evening set some short time apart and state your self as before God's Tribunal take a back-look upon your Actions of that day and what you have done towards God or your Neighbour amiss acknowledge it with contrition and brokenness of heart and seek of God Grace enabling you to a due Reparation either by a sorrowful even publick acknowledgment thereof in so far as they are sins against our good God providing the same may tend to the Edification of His Church and People or by repairing the prejudice of any hurt done to your Neighbour in so far as it is possible within your power and in your Evening Prayer acknowledge the goodness of God throughout all the days of your time and in particular acknowledge Him for the Mercies of that day and enlarge your self in Prayer as in the Morning 9. As you are called to own a Profession of Godliness so you are to avow the publick performance of Duty wherever Providence shall tryst your Being yet for the most part you would endeavour its Being as retired and as private as possible at least beware that to be seen or heard of men or any self end be not a Motive to your doing thereof I remember to have heard of a woman meeting with godly Mr. Fox upon the Street and after some discourse she pulling out her Bible told him she was going to hear a Sermon upon which he said to her if you will be advised by me go home but said she when shall I then go to Church To whom he answered when you tell no body of it 10. Beware of Hypocricie and be assured God will not be dissembled with he hath in many places of Scripture ranked Hypocrites with the worst of sinners you will find Mat. 23.13 they are amongst the number of such against whom our Lord denounces a Wo and in Chap. 14.51 the misery of their condition is held forth in the Sentence of the unjust Servant where as an aggravation of his punishment it is said his portion shall be with the hypocrites where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Do not you appear to be what you are not and let the design of being thought religious or the making use of a Profession to cloak your carnal and worldly ends be far from you I acknowledge to be morally honest is not to be religious but mind that without endeavouring to be so in all your Actions there is no Religion And it is the height of folly for any to think that their being of a Perswasion with those that are the most godly or their own practising even with much appearing sincerity the Duties of Religion where there is not Moral Honesty doth so much as truly entitle them to the name of Christians it is true every man is subject to Failings and an entire doing of what is required of us is not within the power of sinful man but as truly are our Failings in Moral Duties either where they are customary and habitual or not repented of and endeavoured against difect indications of the want of Religion and that our Lord notwithstanding the Name and Profession of such will disown them in their greatest extremity and you may see the Prophet Micah holding forth that the outward performing of what was legally required of the Jews was not the principal part of their Duty and says in Chap. 6.7 8. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And God by the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 4.24 saith Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness judgement and righteousness in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. Yea our Lord himself in that most excellent Sermon upon the Mount hath said Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven 11. Mind what you are engaged to in your being Baptized and live up to that solemn engagement you are to fight out your Warfare under the Banner of Christ our Lord and renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh seek of God for Jesus sake that He may give you knowlegde and enable you to see and live up to the solemn Tyes you are under through your baptismal Covenant and as ye will answer to our good God at the day of your Appearance before his Tribunal be not among the number of such as never thinks of Baptism being otherwise useful then as a Ceremony for their having a Name 12. I expect that you will be able as the Apostle requires to give an Answer to every man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope or Belief that is in you with Meekness and Fear Forbeâ—â— Debates and Disputings upon Controversies in Religion what
God may enable you to the sanctified use of every mean of Grace and bless the same to his glory in your eternal Wel-being is and my God enabling me shall be whilst I live the Prayer of Your affectionat Father January 8. 1691. SON WHat I have written to you in thir few Sheets I intreat you do not neglect the perusal thereof as I have desired it is far from my intention to do what may agravat guilt in you but if you consider not seriously what I have written with a full resolution and endeavour to put the same in practice however imperfect it may be yet it will witness against you in the day of your appearance before Gods Tribunal But I hope our good God will by his Grace enable you so to live as the most desireable and only Saviour of Sinners in that day will be found to be your Portion you know I have sometimes endeavoured to hold forth to you your Engagements in Baptisme and you may remember what partciularly you engaged your self to in Write under your hand that day I did with your dear and most tenderly affectionat Mother whose Rememberance ought ever whilst you live to be savourie to you I say when we did joyntly endeavour in Prayer cordially to devote you to God and lest ye may not have kept by you the Double of what by writ you have engaged your self to I send you the words thereof under-written â— A. B. having it represented to me by my Parents the Engagements I am under by my being baptized That I shall renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh and live Godly and Righteously and soberly do here declare I believe in one God the Father and Son and Holy Ghost and does devote my self to him my Creator and reconciled Father in Jesus Christ who 's Blood signified by the Water in my Baptism can only cleanse me from Sin And I promise in his Strength He for Christ's sake enabling me to live up to my Engagements in Baptism to strive against all sinfull inclinations in me a wicked and corrupt Creature and to hate every Sin not only because it procures a temporal Curse and the ruine of my Soul to Eternity but especially because it is hateful to and contrair the holy Nature and Precepts of my blessed God And I do hereby expresly promise He by his Grace strengthening me to live in obedience to His holy Will revealed in the Scriptures and explained in the Confession of Fath and Catechism presently professed in this Church and I humbly beg O my most merciful God! for Christ's sake that thou would enable me to the performance of what I have hereby engaged to and to every Duty required of me in my Station and that I may ever have thy Grace in my heart and for my Portion here and to all Eternity an Interest in Christ thy Son my Blessed Glorious and lovely Lord and Saviour A. B. November 28. 1689. MInd that you have thus engaged your self and I intreat you may not by your being forgetful thereof and not living up there to draw down a Curse upon you You would at least every Sabbath set some short time apart for thinking upon your Baptismal Engagements and read over the Double of what you have subscribed and in a humble sense of your Sin anâ— Unworthiness upon your Knees seek by Prayer with earnestness of heart that God for Jesâ— Sake may enable you to every Duty I am seâ—sible I have written to you more in some thing then is at this time necessar and that I have not in what is more necessar suitably presse your Dut under your present Circumstance which makes me again require your remembriâ— my desire to you in forbearing bad Company Neglect not private Prayer and know that you unreverent going about that Duty with a waâ—â— dering faithless loveless heart and the was of a due consideration of what a wretched Sinnâ—â— you are and what God is whose Presence yoâ— dare to approach will but aggravat your Guilâ—â— in stead of procuring to you a Blessing And also desire you mind your being moderate 〈◊〉 the time you allow for your Recreations 〈◊〉 them be so harmless as may be vindicable in 〈◊〉 sight of God and Man and you would your seâ—â— not only forbear altogether the going to drink Taverns or Ale-houses but even forbear 〈◊〉 Company of such as do's it for often is thâ— Practice an In-let to and the beginning of avitice and debauched Life yea shun all appearance of Evil for the bent of the Inclination in frâ—â— Man is ready where there is the least of yieâ—â—ing to hurry us forward to every Wickedness and whatever may be the desirableness of the humour of any Comerade or complacency in his Converse if there be in his fellowship any thing inducing to the slghting of the due attendance upon your Book but especially to the doing of what is sinful and so dishonourable to God I do strictly enjoyn your forbearing all familiarity with such I have written to you more then I intended and shall now end again intreating you may unbyasedly enquire in what may be your Duty in all your Concerns and therein debar Self which is almost undecernable in its workings to our ruine and may be truly said to be the Devils Bait for the destruction of Soul and Body and that ye so live as in your whole Conversation you evidence the due apprehension you have of the certainty of Death the uncertainty of the time thereof and that you have an Immortal Soul that will be miserable to all Eternity unless you so walk as Christ may be your Portion and in your so doing you have even whilst in the World the advantage of the Crowd therein that pursues so eagerly after what is truly and undeniably Vanity for your heartily and humbly endeavouring after what is Duty in the sight of God and your being content with what He in His Providence is pleas'd to tryst you with and your using it to the end of His giving thereof is what the World reaches not as is apparent to those that has but the use of little Reason for almost every man be he Great or Mean in the World is grasping at what when obtained proves but a Shaddow and yields nothing of what he proposed as the end of his having it Ask the Ambitious man why he covets Honour and the Covetous Riches the Voluptuous and Carnal their Pleasures suitable to their Desires and Appetites And all will be answered that they may have Contentment and their Minds satisfied in having and using according as they project to themselves what they so eagerly seek after and how Notour and uncontraverted a Truth is it that when their Projects are attained they are not nearer but surther from Contentment and Satisfaction of mind then before their seeking after them I pray God in Christ may be your Portion I am c. SON YOu may believe what I have written to you to be
shall thy Doubts be preserved from Despair 41. If thou stand guilty of Oppression or wrongfully possessed of anothers Right see thou make Restitution before thou givest an Alms if otherways what are thou but a Thief and makest God thy Receiver 42 When thou prayest for spiritual Graces let thy Prayer be absolute when for temporal Blessings add a Clause of God's pleasure in both with Faith and Humiliation so shalt thou undoubtedly receive what thou desirest or more or better never Prayer rightly made was made unheard or heard ungranted 43. Not to give to the Poor is to take from him not to feed the hungry if thou hast it is the outmost of thy power to kill him that therefore thou mayest avoid both Sacriledge and Murder be charitable 44. So often as thou rememberest thy sin without grief so often thou repeatest these sins for not grieving 45. In thy Apparrel avoid Singularity Profuseness and Gaudiness be not too early in the Fashon nor too late Decencie is the half way between Affectation and Neglect the Body is the Shell of the Soul Apparel is the Husk of that Shell and the Husk often tells you what the Kernel is 46. Be not Censorious for thou knowest not whom thou judgest it is a more dextrous Errour to speak well of an evil man than evil of a good man and safer for thy Judgment to be misted by simple Charity then uncharitable Wisdom he may tax others with Priviledge that hath not in himself what others may tax 47. If thou canst desire any thing not to be repented of thou art in a fair way to Happiness if thou hast attained it thou art at thy ways end He is not happy who hath all if it were possible that he desires but that desires nothing but what is good 48. Hath any wronged thee be bravely revenged slight it and the work is begun for give it and it is finisht he is below himself that is not above an injury 49. Deride not him whom the looser Worlâ— calls Puritan lest thou offend a little one 〈◊〉 he be a Hypocrite God that knows him will râ—ward him if zealous God that loves him wâ—â—â— revenge him if he be good he is good to God Glory if he be evil let him be evil at his oâ—â— Charges He that judges shall be judged 50. As thou desirest the love of God and Man beware of Pride it is a Tumor in thy Mind that breaks and poysons all thy Actions is is a Worm in thy Treasure which eats and ruines thy Estate it loves no man is beloved of no man it is the friend of the Flatterer the mother of Envy the Nurse of Fury the Bawd of Luxury the Sin of Devils and the Devil in Mankind it hates Superiors it scorns Inferiors it owns no Equals in short till thou hate it God hates thee 51. Beware of Drunkenness lest all good Men beware of thee where Drunkenness reigns there Reason is an Exul Vertue a Stranger and God an Enemy 52. Take no pleasure in the folly of an Idiot nor in the frenzie of a Lunatick nor in the extravagancies of a Drunkard make them the Object of thâ— Pity not of thy Pastime when thou beholdest them behold how thou art beholding to Him that suffered thee not to be like them there is no difference between thee and them but God's favour 53. Use Law and Physick only for necessity they that use them otherways abuse themselves into weak Bodies and light Purses they are good Remedies bad Business and worse Recreations 54. In every relative Action change Conditions with thy Brother then ask thy Conscience what thou would'st have done to the being truly resolved exchange again and do thou the like to him and thy Charity shall seldom or never err it is injustice to do what without Impatience thou canst not 〈◊〉 55. Things temporal are sweeter in the expectation Things 〈◊〉 are sweeter in the fruition the first shames thy Hope the second crowns it it is a vain Journy whose end affords less pleasure then the way 56. If thy words be Luxuriant confine them lest they confine the he that thinks he can never speak enough may easily speak too muchâ— a full Tongue and an empty Brain are seldom parted 57. Of all Vices take heed of Drunkenness other Vices make their own way this make way for all Vices he that is a Drunkard is qualified for every evil 58. Let the words of a Virgin though inâ— good Cause and to as good purpose be neitheâ— violent many nor first nor last it is less shamâ—â— For a Virgin to be lost in a blushing silence theâ—â— to be found in a bold Eloquence 59. If thou hast but little make it not leâ—â— by murmuring if thou hast enough make 〈◊〉 not too much by unthankfulness he that is nâ—â— thankfully contented with the least favour 〈◊〉 hath received hath made himself uncapable of the least favour he can receive 60. Dost thou want things necessar grumbâ—â— not perchance it was a necessar thing thâ—â— shouldst want them endeavour lawfully to suppâ—â— it if God bless not thy Endeavour Bless hâ—â— that knoweth what is fittest for thee thou 〈◊〉 God's Patient prescribe not the Physician 61. Look upon thy Affliction as thou usestâ— do upon thy Physician both imply a Diseaâ—â— and both are applyed for a Cure that of the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 if they work they promise 〈◊〉 if not they threaten Death he 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 not afflicted but he that findâ— happiness by his Affliction 62. Many times when we are in heavy Affliction and â—â—sperate of all outward Means our Faâ—â—â— is more strong then afterwards when Goâ—â—â—â—th mercifully delivered yea so far doth the Devil prevail upon the heart of wretched man wiâ—â—â—st in any pleasing Prosperity that in the day of his Accounts it will at least often be found that his Troubles have been his greatest Mercies 63. It is good to suffer twice before one complain once for those that often though justly complain come with disadvantage especially iâ— it be to a Party who from the too common Infirmitâ— incident to Mankind is ready to determine persons under straitâ—â—ing Circumstances to be â—â—â—lish if not worse as they are ready to overprize the Actions of the worldly prosperous 64. He that desires but what he may may have â—hat he desires therefore he that is sparing in his desires may have Pâ—enty even in a moderate â—state FINIS Dear THEOPHILUS YOu may remember that in our discoursing together some Weeks since we considered that Love was the great Duty required of Man and the Apostle having said 1 Joh. 4.7 Let us love one another for love is of God yea our Blessed Lord in the Evangelist Joh. 13.35 Declares that By this shall all men know such to be his Disciples as have love one to another And having said in Mat. 22.37 38. That the First and Great Commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul And the
things are remarkable in her Answer besides her Faith so eminently expressed First her Humility she owneth her self a Dog 2ly Her Modesty she beggeth no more than a Crumb 3ly Her Fervency and Importunity after three Repulses By this w◠know our Duty in Prayer to go to God humbly to implore Him modestly and to be instant 〈◊〉 Prayer going on in our Duty though we have no◠such an Answer as we desire These things conjoyned with Faith make an acceptable Prayer Having begun to write upon Man's Misery◠from his wretched Heart I am satisfied that without straining their might be much said thereupon and I wish by communing or by Writ◠we could stir up our selves to the consideration thereof and to the use of means enabling us in God Strength to subdue the same it at all times and all occasions is ready to go out after what is unallowable in the sight of God And even in our approaches to him in Duty which does dreadfully speaks forth the power of Corruption within us and at times when we are alone which we ought much to improve in suitable Meditation Alas how ready are our wretched Hearts torove after vain and unallowable Imaginations My dear Theophile we are to consider that whilst our Sin be our Burden we have no ground to expect freedom from the power thereof I pray God may strengthen us duly to examine all our ways which if we seriously do our Failings will be palpably obvious and that he enable us under a due sense thereof from our hearts to acknowledge the same and with earnestness to seek for Christs sake that we in every thing live as minding we are in the presence of God to whom the thoughts of the heart are naked and open and before whose Tribunal we must stand and give an Account therefore I am truly at this present so full of what I think layes open to me the vanity of all earthly things as if my Capacity did allow of my expressing to you rationality what I conceive thereof it would give palpable ground to believe the folly yea the madness there is in almost all the actions and ways of every man And surely I can say that only in doing what tends to our eternal Well-being is Man reasonable It 's true it is our Duty in our Stations to go about what we are called to in relation to our worldly Beeing but where even what is so done has not it's principal aim to the glory of God and the salvation of our Souls in and for Christs sake it will at the time of death or when we come to the true use of Reason appear to be what the remembrance thereof will be better unto us I pray God for Jesus sake may do away our sinful and wretched Hearts and that He by his Grace fit us for such suitable Meditation as may by his Blessing be a mean enabling us so to live as Christ may be our Portion I am March 28. 1692. D. Th. Your Neighbour and Servant THEOCRITUS Post-script I Have in my last Letter to you insinuat that it might be warrantably said that none ought to aim at an higher Station in the World than they are in wherein I may appear Taxable for as there is a necessity of differing Stations for the being and governing of Societies 〈◊〉 there must be Changes by Death or otherway◠of Persons in those Stations and it cannot be denied to be the Duty of every one to endeavour a fitness for being serviceable in their Generation in whatever Station Providence shall ca◠them to yea I do acknowledge there may be Endeavours after Qualifications with some Prospect to Advancement but surely the principal End in so doing ought only to be God's Glory in the God of the Society and I yet say how ever there may be an Obligation upon person qualified not to decline their being useful it whatever Station they are called to that undoubtedly their own quiet and particular lies in their neither seeking after nor having worldly Honour and Advancement for there is no little Truth in that old Saying Rare fumant felicibus Arae And as excellent Flavel says that as it is the misery of the Poor to be neglected of Men 〈◊〉 it is the misery of the Rich to neglect God and who can be poorer then he that hath the World and its Honours and loves them And who Richer then he that enjoys but little of them and lives above them And I think it may be truly enough said that not any Change to an higher Station but alanerly their being serviceable to God in what is advantagious to the Society they live in ought to be the Aim of whatever they do having tendency thereto