other means will not prevail 12. The wretched unthankfulness of despising his Commandments or lazily performing any service to him whose mercies have been and are so abundant and free toward us as we have found them and yet hope for infinitely more hereafter 13. The Watchfulness and diligence of worldly men and their heat for the Devil and their own lusts 14. The danger that may be to us not onely from worldly men alluring or opposing but even from those who are godly and may yet prove tempters and snares to us and so we never walk but in the middest of snares and temptations 15. The certain shortness and uncertain continuance of our lives subject to a thousand casualties and nothing to be done for God or our selves after death 16. The nobleness and excellency of our immortal souls born to higher imployment and honour than a bruitish service of the body or Paganish pursuing of this present world 17. The certainty of the hope whereunto they are called who seek the Kingdome of God above all other things 18. The infinite glory of Heaven and eternal happiness there kept in store for them that fight a good fight and finish their course and keep the faith and love and watch for the appearance of Christ 19. The exceeding greatness of the mighty power of God working for and in them that believe and live by faith 20. The exceeding great and precious promises of all kinds even for comfort in this life to them that love God and walk uprightly and forsake any thing for Christ That all things shall work together for good to them and no good thing shall be withholden from them and for any thing they have forsaken they shall receive in this world even in the midst of persecutions an hundred-fold more an eternal life in the world to come 21. The experience of that sweet peace of conscience and blessed contentation and spiritual rejoycing even in the midst of Tribulations and Persecutions that is to be seen in many of the servants of God and which all profess to be certainly attainable by those that watch and pray and are sober and exercise their Faith and Grace A Remedy against Carefulness Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing 1. CArefulness forbidden is taking over-much thought disquieting the mind rending the heart in pieces with doubts and fears for worldly things good to be missed lost ill to befall continue 2. The causes are Doting too much upon the thing or comfort in danger Distrust of Men. Means Gods blessing 3. The Effects are divers and not the same in all But it appears 1. When it provokes to use indirect means 2. When the means which are used though commonly sufficient are not counted sufficient 3. When the thoughts are chiefly upon it first and last contrary to the express charge Mat. 6.33 4. When it breeds interruption in holy duties Neglected Untowardly done 5. When it hinders from enjoying natural comforts 6. When it makes unfit for ones calling 7. When it hinders freedome of spirit and makes unfit for civil society 4. Hence the Reasons against it are many shewing the sinfullness of it and directing to Remedies against it 1. It is an idolatrous sin if we doted not too much on such a creature or comfort we could not be overcareful about it See Ps 73.25 compared with the former part The Remedy is to apply Gods All sufficiency who can certainly make us happy without that creature or comfort 2. It is a Paganish sin an Infidels sin if we did believe Gods Providence Attributes and Promises we could not be so out of quiet Mat. 6. The Remedy is to lay to heart these Doctrines as becomes a Christian 3. It is an unthankful sin we deserved Hell and scape that and are promised Heaven instead of it are we not bound to referre other things to God The remedy is to ponder well our sins and Gods great mercy in Christ 4. It is a fruitless sin no man gets any thing by vexing himself Gods will shall stand The Remedy is to weigh how great a piece of wisdom it is to make a virtue of necessity 5. It is a multiplying sin it endangers to make one do any thing to secure themselves from what they fear The Remedy is to consider the least sin worse than any evil to a Christians heart 6. It is a pernicious sin it provokes God often to cross us in the very thing even for our over-carefulness about it disappointing hopes or bringing fears according to our perplexed apprehensions besides worse mischief if one obtain their desire The Remedy is to consider the promises made to meekness and the comforts of a good Conscience 7. It is a prophane sin hindring religious duties The Remedy is to remember Gods service the end of our life and nothing should hinder us in it 8. It is an inhumane sin it hurts 1. The Soul in the forenamed neglect of duties to God 2. The Body by hindring the enjoying of comforts The Remedy is to love our selves wisely and our whole selves rather than our fancy in any thing or than any one particular thing for our selves how seeming unnecessary soever 9. It is an unsociable sin and inhumane in respect of others it makes unfit for all converse and so neglectful of friends and even be discomforts to them The remedy is to consider our selves not born for our selves only others afford us comfort and we owe the like to them 10. It is an unnecessary sin we have vexation enough for each day we need not vex our selves with thought for to morrow The remedy is to consider that we may die before that we misdoubt comes and then as we say the thought is taken 11. It is a self condemned sinne There are none but trust men in something or other as great as that they are now over-carefull about or must do God with a greater matter the eternal estate of their souls The remedy is to reason the like in one thing we do in another and not disparage God while we trust men 12. It is a sin against experience 1. Of the bruit and even senseless creatures God feeds the fowls and clothes the grass 2. Our own is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment specially the soul than either The Remedy is to consider God our Father who will not be kind or to a kite than to a child or prefer a flower before a son nor withhold the less being good and who is so mad as to say I would have what God sees not good having given the greater Rom. 8.32 The Lord of Earth and Heaven of Grace and Glory teach us ever to love him with Faith and thankfulness that we may enjoy all good from him through Jesus Christ Amen The Soul of Fasting Nehem. 6.5 c. 1. AN awfull Regard and Reverence of the Glorious Majesty of the Great God with whom we have to do by a through Apprehension of his infinite and incomprehensible
admirer of and having great knowledge in the Scriptures which he took great delight in when young and highly honoured whilst he lived He kept a perfect Diery of all or most of the passages of his Life He often set whole days apart to humble himself in private by Fasting and Prayer He took the degree of Batchelor of Arts in the year 1630. and in 1632. he was taken in by the the Vniversity as a Vniversity Preacher In the year 1643. he was called to be one of the Assembly of Divines and some time after elected as Pastor in Dukes-Place from whence he removed to New-Church in Westminster where he was the first Minister that preached there in both which places he was highly and greatly esteemed of and by all his Auditors that were professors of piety During also his Ministry at New-Church he was a Lecturer at the Abbey Church in Westminster and so painfull was he in the service of God that he never declined any Ministerial exercise that he was requested to perform whether in publick or in private He was of a loving friendly disposition courteous and affable in his carriage towards men of the lowest rank or degree April 1644. he was constituted Master of Queens-Colledge by the Earl of Manchester where he caused the exercise of Sermons to be continued in the Colledge Chappel weekly all the year where also he endeavoured to promote Learning by his constant exhortation of the Scholars to sedulity in their studies purchasing also by his own moneys many Authors which he gave to the Library and maintained at his own charge divers poor and necessitous Scholars He was a man of a publick spirit laying out himself for God greatly self-denying and very Zealous for and in the things of God His freedome and faithfulness in reference to the publick affairs may appear by the Sermons he preach'd before the Parliament at Westminster Divers of which are now in Print His Temperance and Sobriety were great as well in his Apparel as in his Dyet The good works he did while living commands us to praise his liberal charity and charitable liberality The time of his sickness was not long his distemper having little to feed on he whilst in health spending himself so much in the service and work of God His humility his patience in sickness his faith upon God and submission to Gods will did most eminently discover themselves while sick His deportment therein being holy and heavenly and his discourse full of such expressions that discovered where his heart was One exhorting him to cast the burden of his sickness upon God he made this reply I should do very unworthily if when I have Preached to others that they should cast their burden upon God I should not do so my self Anno Christi 1647 in the 46 year of his age he returned his Soul into the hands of God And for his body it lyes buried in the New-Church at Westminster and thus he lived and so he dyed and now he 's dead his works do live Vivitur post funera virtus ANd thus kind Reader you have a brief Epitome of the Life of that Reverend Learned Laborious Pious and Painfull Divine who is the Author of this small yet sweet and precious Treatise from the perusal of which I 'le not detain thee by long or tedious digressions of my own begging only acceptance of what may be well and pardon for what is ill done from all but carping Momuses whose favour not expecting I plainly declare I no more value or care for their censures than I prize or esteem the flatteries of fond and foolish Parasites HE that desires to see a larger Account of the Life of this Reverend Divine let them peruse it as Written by the Learned Mr. Clark in his Book of Lives Of making Religion ones Business MY true Friend It hath been an usual saying with me would God I could ever have the feeling of it in my self That the Character of a godly man is to make Religion his business I will now a little descant upon it so as to set down what I should and would do in this kind I shall set a copy at least to teach my self and provide a remembrancer to quicken my frequent dulness 1. I desire to have my Affections all moulded by Religion and towards it my thoughts and words and deeds to be all exercises of Religion and my very cessation from works commanded by Religion and limited and circumstantiated by Religion my eating drinking sleeping journeying visiting entertaining of friends to be all directed by Religion And that above all I may be serious and busie in the acts of Religion about the Word Prayer Praises Singing Sacraments not only that the duties in each kind be performed but religiously performed with life and vigour with Faith Humility and Charity 2. To these ends I desire my heart may be possessed with these two fundamental principles 1. That Religion is the end of my Creation and of all the benefits not only spiritual but temporal which God bestows upon me 2. That Religion is my felicity even for the present though derived from that eternall felicity which is now laid up for me and to be hereafter possessed by me in Heaven So glorious is that felicity that from the first moment of our interest in it it casts a lightsome gladsome brightness upon the soul even many years sometimes before the enjoyment of the fulness of it like to the Sunne shedding forth his fore-running beams to enlighten all our part of the world many minutes before his full light offers it self to our eye 3. When I speak thus of Religion to be Felicity I mean it of God and Christ the object of Religion without whom Religion is but an empty Name a pernicious errour But as Religion is to know God and him whom he hath sent Jesus Christ it is eternal life begun now here below but never to end in any time or place 4. I wish these thoughts may meet me first in the morning as worldly-minded mens businesses do them that I may count all things but interruptions till my mind be settled in its course for that day and that my mind be so setled and habituated in these purposes that it may be readily in order ordinarily and only need time for solemn performance of religious duties and for extraordinary projects 5. Specially I wish as I am bound by millions of eternal obligations That I may love the Lord my God Christ Jesus my Redeemer with all my heart with all my soul with all my mind with all my strength to the utmost extent of all these phrases and that to make my mind more apprehensive of them I may not prophane any of them by using to say in slight matters I love such a thing with all my heart or I will do such a thing with all my heart It may seem a nicety to check such a phrase But I read this morning Pro. 7.2 Keep my
Commandments and live and my Law as the apple of thine eye Which sentence by Gods blessing hath occasioned this whole Meditation whatever it is The Apple of the Eye is the tenderest thing in the World of Naturall things the Law of God no less infinitely more in Spirittuals As I therefore like not the word infinite but when we speak of God so those forenamed phrases seem to be Gods peculiar and that one main cause why common men so readily say They love God with all their heart I mean why they so easily deceive themselves in so saying is because they have adulterated the phrase with all my heart and prostituted to every base trifle Say if it be not so And then as Saint James blames for not saying If the Lord will c. though every one will grant such words necessary and pretended to suppose them so is it not blame-worthy to say in petty matters what should make a sacred sound in our ears and to our spirits 6. I wish I could loose my self in a holy trance of meditation every time I think of God and Christ as the Author Fountain Life Substance of all my happiness All-sufficient alone sufficient only-sufficient for my soul and all comfort and good Nothing wanting in God and Christ to Eternity No need of any creature No accession by any creature no one creature not all of them comparable to him or any thing without him Time lost happiness lost while converse with any creature further than according to his Ordinance as his instruments and servants 7. I wish I could forget all respcts to my self carnal natural while I have any service to perform to God as I have every moment though I cannot ever think so that I might shew I love God with strength My God with all my strength and never be weary of his immediate services especially or if naturally yet not spiritually Lusts are vigorous when the body languishes being spent Oh why is not grace more strong 8. I wish my heart may never recoil upon me with saying Thou mightest now or such a time have done thy God thy Saviour more service than thou didst even when thou didst somewhat thy body and spirits would have held out longer time and endured a geater stress of zeal And much less Thou didst wholly lose such an opportunity of doing or receiving good though scarce can any one do good who receives not some present payment at least in soul the enlargement of Grace and holy affections and least of all Thou didst wholly employ thy strength to sin or thou hast weakned thy strength by intemperance or any other foolish or sinfull practice 9. I wish that every day among my first thoughts one may be What special business have I within doors within my soul What sin to mortifie Whether lately raging and even but last day or night prevailing over me Or which I have had at least some late victories over that I may allot time to pursue it and by no means forget it in my paryer and arm my self against the encounter if there be any possibility of my being assaulted that day And what grace to strengthen wherein I have been exceeding feeble of late or even begun to obtain some vigour which it may easily be lost and will be if not with all care and means and prayers fomented and cherished that so I may prepare for it These are a Christians main businesses within himself alwayes Withall I wish to die dayly I mean not that I dayly wish for death but that I may foresee it more than possible and may prepare for it resolvedly contentedly that I may look at it as at a means of happiness and take such order as it may not cut me off from any main necessary imployment But each hour and minute to dispatch the substantials of my business and referre circumstances and event to the All-wise Powerfull and gracious Providence of the great Ruler and King of the whole world and of every creature 11. I wish to improve every relation I stand in towards any of mankind to the advancement of Religion that Glory may redound to Christ by my being a child to one a brother to another a neighbour to a third a kinsman a freind an acquaintance to any one That as well for the credit of Religion which commands to give to all their due honour and to love them as my self as for the Propagation of Religion I may be ambitious to approve my self the best Child or Subjâ—ct or Friend c. in the world I and careful also to insinuate my self as much as may be into the favour of every one I converse withall in the world of Superiours by submission and diligence of Equals by courtesie and fredom of Inferiours by affibility mixt with gravity and gentleness with necessary strictness And that I may not fail to entitle God to whatever ground I gain upon the affections of any that is to engage them thereby the more forwardly in his service in their own persons and towards all others and that I my self also may reap some spiritual benefit by them that so I may bless God for them and they him for me and others for them and me together 12. Particularly I wish that toward Inferiours I may never put lesse but rather more weight upon Gods Comandements than mine own and upon religious than civil observances and that because the best are not Angels I may bear with more patience failings in meer worldly than spiritual matters 13. I wish never to be one of those that feed themselves without fear but that whether I eat or drink I may do all to the glory of my God that is Seasonably Sparingly and with Choice for Health and Strength Not Gluttony Drunkenness or Riotous Curiosity That I may daily remember my business not to be to live to eat but eat to live that I may follow my business that is Christianity that I may not forget how slippery a place the throat is and how easily that glides down which after works disease that because the craving of the sensual appetite seeming but reasonable being but for ones self is of the betraying of Reason it self besides the quelling of Grace both Grace and Reason may combine together in the practise of this difficultest piece of self-denyal And that I may ever consider not only what a shame what an unthankfulnesse it is in the least degree to disable my self for the service of Him who allowes me liberally so much as can be fit for me how-much soever that be but also what pity to wast good Creatures to so vile a purpose as to weaken my body or overcharge my spirits with what was meant to strengthen and quicken them That from the observation of the untowardnesse of my mind when it is in the best temper I may tremble at the thoughts of the least intemperance which if it fetter not my body so as it cannot do its duty will at least hamper
in danger to starve either through want of publick provisions or leisure to provide for my self what might be had and therefore by no means to overslip the opportunity even for my own sake besides the Commandment and to take to the utmost minute that I can my spiritual liberty to serve God and get Grace not allowing any thing by my good will to interrupt me therein 27. I desire to account the Sacrament of the Lords Supper a singular Fair wherein the Bread that came down from Heaven the water of life spiritual wine and milk and whatsoever else is nourishing and comfortable to the soul is freely offered and to be had without money and without price That therefore I may be sure not to miss when I may go to it And yet because all that come thither make not so happy a bargain but rather purchase to themselves wrath and judgement I may be carefull to prepare my self so by Examination that my soul be not sent away fasting or which is worse poisoned while my body is entertained 28. I desire to account all other Ordinances of God in their degree and manner likewise the means of my Souls enriching nourishing physick So that if I should slight or trifle away these blessed opportunities I could not but die a beggar die and starve die a miserable diseased Leper die and perish eternally That therefore I may not be so much a fool as to have these put as prizes into my hand to get wisdom withall and I to have no heart to them or that pretending no other errand to the place where they are nor other business at that time but to receive them I should be so wickedly mad as to sleep away the offers of Grace then tendered unto me nor suffer my mind to be diverted to any other thing â—or to look that God should hear me where I scarce hear my self in my prayers or refuse to hear him in his Word 29. I desire to account those my best friends that most help me in my business of Christianity And to esteem a watchfull consideration and faithfull admonitions the most necessary and best expressions of friendship and best helps to my feeble and frail mind 30. I desire if ever I marry to account that one of the greatest businesses even of Religion that I can undertake any time in my whole life which if I speed well in will incomparably beyond that other men or creatures can Advance my spiritual projects and advantages and contrarily disappoint and overthrow them if I make an ill match that therefore being truly sensible of my own natural sinfull inclination which may betray me as soon as any other into some one at least of those many untoward courses which persons of all qualities and conditions usually take on this occasion as also Apprehensive of Gods punishing no sin more frequently or sharply in this world I may from the first moment of my entertaining any such thoughts make my most ardent and faithful Prayers keep pace with them first to implore to be directed in a perfect way and then to be blessed with a true helper every way meet for me 31. Particularly I desire that the phrases of Marrying in the Lord and not being unequally yoaked c. not corrupted by the worlds false glosses but truly interpreted by a serious conscience may ever have an absolute negative voice in all Propositions that is that I may never marry with any whom I have reason to judge not to be truly religious whilest yet I conclude That Religion alone is not sufficient to make any match That I may never dare to cross the Rules of nature in too much disparity of age or in robbing Parents of their right at least of Approbation and Consent nor those of Civility by aspiring too eminently above my degree or debasing my self too much below it withall counting it a necessary qualification in one whom I may match my self unto To have no predominant humour which I cannot bear but to be able to bear any infirmity of mine and to be at least some help to my spirit in those things wherein I specially need help 32. I desire for my security in all these Resolutions that I may never be in hast but make a leisurable and sufficient enquiry by my self and friends answerable to the necessity which the worlds deceitfulness enforces in a business of such lasting importance but specially that I may never be in love with the estate or comeliness of person which would hinder any full enquiry and stop my ears to any though never so true an information and blind my eyes from a right discerning Whether there be indeed that which in others I was wont to make the Character of Piety and even in a visible observation of defects make me wickedly run to Gods Decree for my excuse and say Marriages are made in Heaven or presumptuously promise my self that I shall make them better when once married and headlong run on notwithstanding all the contrary advice of friends or even the commands of Parents and be in danger to have my heart broke with discontent if the Providence of God shall any way break the Match which last consideration forbids also too much engagement of affection upon the most worthy and fit person in the world while there remains any possibility of dissolving the Treaty 33. I desire to enforce the undervaluing of wealth or beauty upon my spirit from the scarecity of these who have all the other more necessary Qualifications and that remembring among all the Ends of Marriage mentioned in Scripture none of them to be to make one rich I may never consent to set my Liberty my Comfort my Self for so long a term as during life to make never so great a purchase of worldly Estate As also though I must never match my self to any till I can love their person I may yet count it a sin to refuse one otherwise every way fit for me upon the meer exception that I cannot love when there is no remarkable deformity to breed a loathing and to reckon it a duty to pray earnestly to God to rectifie such untowardness of my mind as makes me without just cause reject a gracious offer of his Providence towards me and that to prevent the mischief of an unexpected continuall jarre all our lives long I may be willing to be inquired into my self as well as to enquire after others and may not dissemblingly disguise for a fit that which will afterwards come certainly to be known expecting That that love cannot be firm whose foundation is laid upon a lie But that I may by my self or friends ' fully and freely before engagement be past Express what I expect both for Piety and all other matters of habitation manner of living order of Family and the like and what may be expected from me in each respect not fearing that this faithfulness to my self and them should make a breach but resolving that if this
fully equal to both 6. He believes in one Nature three Persons and in one Person two Natures 7. He believes a Virgin to have been a Mother and her Son to be her Maker 8. He believes him to be born in time who was from everlasting and him to be shut up in a narrow room whom Heaven and Earth could never contain 9. He believes him to have been a weak child carried in arms who is the Almighty and him to have died who only hath life and immortality in himself 10. He believes the God af all Grace to have been angry with one who never offended him and the God that hates all sinne to be reconciled to himself though sinning con-continually and never making or being able to make him satisfaction 11. He believes the most just God to have punished a most innocent person and to have justified himself though a most ungodly sinner 12. He believes himself freely pardoned and yet that a sufficient Satisfaction is paid for him 13. He believes himself to be precious in Gods sight yet he loaths himself in his own sight 14. He dares not justifie himself even in those things wherein he knows no fault in himself yet he believes God accepts even those services wherein himself is able to find many faults 15. He praiseth God for his Justice and fears him for his mercies 16. He is so ashamed as he dares not open his mouth before God yet comes with boldness to God and asks any thing he needs 17. He is so humble as to acknowledge himself to deserve nothing but evil yet so confident as to believe God means him all good 18. He is one that fears always and yet is bold as a Lion 19. He is often sorrowful yet alwayes rejoycing often complaining yet alwayes giving of thanks 20. He is most lowly minded yet the greatest aspirer most contented yet ever craving 21. He bears a lofty spirit in a mean condition and when he is aloft thinks meanly of himself 22. He is rich in poverty and poor in the midst of riches 23. He believes all the world to be his yet dares take nothing without special leave 24. He covenants with God for nothing yet looks for the greatest reward 25. He loses his life and gains by it and even whiles he loses it he saves it 26. He lives not to himself yet of all others is most wise for himself 27. He denies himself often yet no man that most pleases himself loves himself so well 28. He is the most reproached and most honoured 29. He hath the most afflictions and the most comforts 30. The more injury his enemies do to him the more advantage he gets by them 31. The more he himself forsakes of worldly things the more he enjoys of them 32. He is most temperate of all men yet fares most deliciously 33. He lends and gives most freely yet is the greater Usurer 34. He is meek towards all men yet inexorable by men 35. He is the best child brother husband friend yet hates father and mother and wife and brethren c. 36. He loves all men as himself yet hates some men with perfect hatred 37. He desires to have more grace than any hath in the world yet he is truly sorry when he sees any man have less than himself 38. He knows no man after the flesh yet gives to all men their due respects 39. He knows if he please men he is not the servant of Christ yet for Christs sake he pleases all men in all things 40. He is a peace-maker yet continually fighting an irreconcilable enemy 41. He believes him to be worse than an Infidel that provides not for his family yet he himself lives and dies without care 42. He is severe to his children because he loves them and being favourable to his enemies revenges himself upon them 43. He accounts all his inferiors his fellows yet stands strictly upon his authority 44. He believes the Angels to be more excellent creatures than himself and yet counts them his servants 45. He believes he receives many good turns by their means yet he never prays their assistance nor craves their prayers nor offers them thanks which yet he doth not disdain to do to the meanest Christian 46. He believes himself a King how mean soever he be and how great soever he be that he is not too good to be servant to the poorest Saint 47. He is often in prison yet alwayes at liberty and a free-man though a servant 48. He receives not honour from men yet highly prizes a good name 49. He believes God hath bidden evey man that doth him any good to do so yet he of any man is the most thankfull to them that do ought for him 50. He would lay down his life to save the soul of his enemy yet will not venture upon one sinne to save his life that hath saved his 51. He swears to his own hinderance and changes not yet knows that his mouth cannot tie him to sinne 52. He believes Christ to have no need of any thing he doth yet makes account he relieves Christ in all his deeds of charity 53. He knows he can do nothing of himself yet labours to work out his own salvation 54. He confesses he can do nothing yet as truly professes he can do all things 55. He knows that flesh and bloud shall not inherit the kingdom of God yet believes he shall go to heaven body and soul 56. He trembles at Gods Word yet counts it sweeter to him than the honey and the honey comb and dearer than thousands of gold and silver 57. He believes that God will never damn him and yet he fears him for being able to cast him into hell 58. He knows he shall not be saved by his works and yet doth all the good works he can and believes he shall not be saved without them 59. He knows Gods providence orders all things yet is he so diligent in his business as if he were to cut out his own fortune 60. He believes beforehand God hath purposed what shall be and that nothing can make him alter his purpose yet prays and endeavours as if he would force God to satisfie him however 61. He prays and labours for what he believes God means to give him and the more assured he is the more earnest 62. He prays for that he knoweth he shall not obtain and yet gives not over 63. He prays and labours for that which he knows he may be no less happy without 64. He prays with all his heart not to be led into temptation yet rejoyces when he is fallen into it 65. He believes his prayers to be heard even when they are denied and gives thanks for that which he prayed against 66. He hath within him the flesh and the spirit yet is not a double-minded man 67. He is often led away captive by the law of sin yet it never gets the dominion over him 68. He cannot sinne yet he can
my wits and many times take away from me the will to go about it aright That therefore I may count all inordination or immoderation in meat or drink Poison at least to my Soul and in a degree also to my body as is confest by all some meats and drinks to be in themselves to some and others if taken to such a quantity 14. I wish to be watchfull over my self always that I may be thus sober and sober that I may be watchful and watchful that I may withstand enemies and have time and spirits to do all the works my heavenly Master sets me about 15. I wish to redeem all time I can from sleep and so to order my sleep as I may redeem most time To redeem all time I can from sports and so to order my imployments as that the varieties of them may commonly be recreation enough without using any sports at all for my minds sake And that if my body seem necessarily to require any I may remember that Nature is content with a little and Grace never asks more That if courtesie require me to bear friends company in their sports I may not only refuse such as are unlawful in themselves but in others consider whether they are not for the present unseasonable or vitiated with some other ill Circumstances being specially shie of those that are apt to lead astray either by affording provocations to impatience or threatning to swallow up too much time of which friends not seldom robbing us do it no way more than by exacting of us to hold out with them in their sports which they by an evil though significant name usualy call Pastimes 16. I wish to redeem all time from vain thoughts and unprofitable musings upon my bed night or morning in my walking or riding upon the way in my attendances where neither my Eye nor my Tongue can be profitably set on work and to take those Advantages greedily to advance the businesses of God and my soul My thoughts are her eldest and noblest off-spring and so too worthy to be cast away upon base objects 17. I wish to redeem all time from idle words and frivolous discourses to avoid what I can the hearing of such pratlings to shun all light and frothy and amorous Books My Tongue is my Glory and my best Instrument to advance the Glory of God and Religion towards others It were pity to prophane it with such words as to be upon my contrary score at the day of accounts and so much I have to learn of God and of Religion as without slighting them I can find no leisure to give heed to trifles besides the danger of poison to be conveyed in these If I were confined to the society of Pagans I might from thence expect some profitable Discourse though altogether of the world and even towards them I were bound to offer at least sometimes mention of God How much more among such as call themselves Christians Specially who profess Christianity to be their business as well as mine 18. I desire to redeem all time I can from curiosity in dressing my body as that which besides the vanity and unprofitableness endangers the leaving off the best clothing Humility and so doubly sets my business back 19. I wish to redeem what time I can even from worldly business whatever they are so as at least I may never want room to exercise my self unto Godliness to perform my dayly solemn services to God both personal and domestick and for extraordinary Projects to the honour of God 20. I desire to take no journey or make no visit which falls not into the road of Religion Courtesie which to allow and in a sort even command is Religious Honour will carry me a little way sometimes But specially Purposes accompanied with Hopes of making all my correspondences pay tribute to Relegion whilest in the mean time I am carefull to lose no opportunity of trafficking for Religions gain and resolutely to stay no longer time any where than while I may do my self or others more good there than in another place 21. I wish specially to make all my medlings in worldly businesses serviceable to Religion Whilest I imploy whatever Talent I have received and do receive to strengthen encourage and secure my Self Family Friends Neighbours and all Fellow-Christians in the wayes of Godliness and to exercise and demonstrate Faith Humility Patience Contentedness Liberality Justice Heavenly mindedness in the midst of worldly imployments and thereby to draw even strangers to admire and approve of that Religion which teaches and effectually perswades so much good 22. Particularly I wish that I may never grasp so much of the world as to distract my head with cares or engage my heart in sins and that in the rust that cleaves to my fingers in telling of money though each piece seem clean enough I may see the emblem of the defilement gotten insensibly by the use even of lawful things that therefore I may constantly afterwards wash my heart by prayers and meditations 23. I wish to account nothing a cross to me but what crosses Religion in some respect either to my own Soul or others to reckon by that Rule my losses and gains my thrivings and goings back and for this reason to esteem scandal the worst of evils and to give or do or suffer any thing to prevent or take them away and next to these the want of Gods Ordinances 24. I wish to have my heart and conversation alwayes in heaven as counting my treasure to be laid up there and though I must trade with worldly commodities yet to reckon Grace my chief stock and that as fore-seeing losses I may trade much in the Assurance-Office and study daily the Art of Christian Alchymy which can extract advantage out of losses gold out of every thing even doâ—ng it self that is Grace not only out of every gracious act of Gods providence within sight or hearing but even out of afflictions and very sins 25. Particularly I wish to improve the time of sickness which disables from most worldly businesses to set forward greatly the businesses of God and my soul and wholly to bestow that leisure upon them further than the necessity of my body calls me partly to attend it and that because I am then debar'd from publick means of thriving I may beg of every Visitant to help me with somewhat which yet will not impoverish but help to enrich them also by mutual trading in spiritual matters and to count this covetousness only lawful Never to think I have enough of Grace but the less time I have to live the more greedy to be to heap up of these riches 26. I desire to count the Sabbath the Lords day mine made for me for mine advantage the Market-day for my soul a spirituall harvest-day wherein I may all day long make provision and lay up in store for afterwards and to bless God continually for it as without which my soul might be