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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34877	A supplement to Knowledge and practice wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to salvation are more fully explained, and several new directions given for the promoting of real holiness both of heart and life : to which is added a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the times, viz. swearing, lying, pride, gluttony, drunkenness, uncleanness, discontent, covetousness and earthly-mindedness, anger and malice, idleness / by Samuel Cradock ... useful for the instruction of private families.	Cradock, Samuel, 1621?-1706.	1679 (1679)	Wing C6756; ESTC R15332	329,893	408

then every branch of the execution shall cease 1 Cor. 15.24 28. Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power and when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himsef be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all But though the Mediatorship of Christ be then resigned and the Regal Office as a part of that Mediatorship yet Christ shall not cease to be King or loose any thing of that power and honour he had before but as the Nicene Creed has it His Kingdom shall have no end 4. Let us now consider what improvements we ought to make of this Article 1. If Christ be set down on the right hand of God let this mind us of our duty which is humble subjection and obedience to him 2. Let us encourage our selves if we belong to him to expect protection from him God hath given him to be head over all things to his Church And all power is given him both in heaven and earth 3. Let us remember his intercession Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Heb. 7.25 He is able to save them to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Doth the guilt of sin sting and wound our Consciences Let us remember what an Advocate we have Are we in want of any mercy Let us remember what our Saviour himself sayes John 16 23. Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name he will give it you Whatever trouble we are in let us not be dismayed considering Christ is at Gods right hand Heb. 12.2 4. Let all those that oppose Christ and his Kingdom think seriously of this His enemies must be made his footstool SECT IX Of our Saviours coming to judge the World THe words of the Creed are these From thence He shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead From thence he shal come to judge the quick and the dead Concerning this Article we shall make these inquiries 1. How may we be assured there will be a day of Judgment 2. Who is to be the Judge at that great day 3. What will be the nature and manner of that Judgment 4. What will be the Consequents of it 1. How may we be assured there will be a day of Judgment The Scripture holds forth to us a twofold Judgment to come 1. Particular judgment which follows immediately upon every ones death Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it This is also held forth by that Historical Parable of Dives and Lazarus Luke 16.22 23. and Heb. 9.27 The Apostle tells us It is appointed unto man once to die and after this to Judgment * Unum sci●icet Nam ultimum judicium nihil aliud erit quam promulgatio solennis totalis executio sententiae semel in singulos cum moriuntur latae Jac. Capellus in loc 2. A General Judgement at the end of the World the certainty of which may appear to us from these Arguments 1. From the sence that even natural conscience seems to have of it Acts 24.25 and as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come Foelix trembled 2. From the Justice of God which requires it Here Barabbas a murderer is released and Christ is Crucified here Judgment is often perverted and the Righteous oppressed But there is a Judgment to come that will set all things streight 3. From the clear and manifest declaration of the will of God that it shall be so Eccles 12.14 God shall bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil And Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him up from the dead 4. From the representation made of it to some of Gods servants in Divine visions as 1. to Daniel Dan. 7.9 10. I beheld till the Antient of dayes did sit whose Garment was white as Snow thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him The Judgment was set and the books were opened and 2. to St. John Rev. 20.12 I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened And another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were Judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works 2. Let us inquire who is to be the Judge The Apostle assures us that this Jesus Christ will be the Judge Acts 10.42 He hath commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead John 5.22 27. For the Father Judgeth no man that is immediately by himself but hath committed all Judgement unto the Son and hath given him authority to execute Judgment also because he is the Son of man Now Christ is appointed the Judge 1. Because he is the Son of man * The authority of Judging is common to all the three Persons but the execution of this power is proper only to the Son The Father and the Holy-Ghost will Judge the World by Him who suffered so much for the sins of men and this as a reward of his humiliation 2. Because God intending to make a general and visible Judgement will have a visible Judge Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him that the Judicial proceedings may be in an outward and visible manner Christ indeed came not at first as a Judge but as a Redeemer John 3.17 but his second coming will be to Judge the World 2 Tim. 4.1 3. Let us inquire what will be the nature and manner of this Judgment And here 1. Let us consider the Preparations to it Scripture sets forth this by the Arch-Angels Trumpet by which all the World shall be as it were summoned to appear at Gods Tribunal 1 Thes 4.16 2. For the manner of it the Scripture represents it to us under the form of a judiciary process wherein 1. The Judge himself will appear exceeding glorious He will come with power and great glory even the glory of the Father Mat. 16.27 And when this his Glory shall be revealed then the Saints shall be glad with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4.13 2. His attendance will be very glorious Mat. 25.31 The Son o● man shall come in his ●lory and all the holy

I acknowledge there may be dancings that are modest decent and inoffensive But there are some that are not so especially among the meaner sort which many times are rude and uncivil and too often are introductions to worse evils and mischiefs 2. Stage-playes That there are some of them less evil and offensive than others is not improbable But if we may believe those that have much frequented them as they are commonly used in our Nation they do a great deal of mischief For besides the danger that does often arise from the ill company that frequents them and the great mispence of pretious time which should be better imployed in the seeing and hearing of them 't is said they represent vice in such a manner especially this sin of uncleanness as makes it seem a very small matter and a thing meerly to be laughed at * The morals of some of our Comedians seem to be little better than his in Terence Non est flagitium mihi crede adolescentulum scortari neque potare Mitio in Adelphis and many of their expressions and gestures seem rather to teach it than to make people out of love with it and to abhor it as God would have us If these things be so I see not that he did much mistake who called them the Devils Lectures For as the pious and serious exhortations of faithful Ministers are bent to beat down lust and concupiscence which is so dangerous to the Soul so it seems quite contrary these Playes design with all the wit art and eloquence they can to stir it up and excite it and by their lascivious and immoral expressions infuse such an infection into the Phansie and put such thoughts into the mind which the corruption of nature in those that have had modest education would hardly ever have suggested And 't is no wonder that they are so much frequented For as 't was observed by the Philosophers of old many turned from other Sects to the Epicureans but scarce any from the Epicureans to other sorts The reason was because mans nature is so inclined to sensuality I shall say no more upon this particular but only this I never knew any get good by frequenting of them I believe many have got a great deal of hurt 3. Lascivious books such as are Play-books Romances amorous Poems and Sonnets such books as these certainly do a great deal of hurt especially to the youth of the Nation If one great remedy as I have shewed before against all sorts of uncleanness be the preserving of our thoughts as much as possibly we can from all unclean imaginations and phansies surely those books that suggest ugly and immoral things to the mind as amorous books usually do must needs be great depravers of mankind and great teachers of vice and immorality And they that desire in such arguments to shew their wit to the poisoning of the minds of men do therein declare that they want very much the true wisdom which would teach them better things There is indeed a kind of scurrilous and obscene wit that makes fools laugh but wise men frown And they that love to have their sensuality tickled and excited delight in such things and in such Books There is a grave Author who has this conceit concerning good men who write and leave good books to the world that instruct it in Piety and Virtue namely that as their books after their decease do good and turn men to righteousness so their joyes in heaven shall be encreased And contrarily that wicked men who write and leave such books to the World which corrupt it with error and immorality as their books do hurt and mischief after their decease so their torments in hell they dying impenitently shall be increased Methinks the very apprehension of this should make all men take heed what books they send out into the world and should put them often upon serious consideration beforehand whether the r books be like to do good or hurt to mankind And if those that write corrupting books did but consider this surely they would burn their papers before they should ever see the light 4. Lascivious Pictures which are dangerous provocations and incentives to Lust There are in some Families strange and shamefull pictures framed no doubt to excite the lusts of the flesh which all good Christians should remember they are engaged in their Baptism to fight against and to endeavour to subdue Such Pictures as these no modest eyes can indure to behold Methinks where there is any thing of virtue or civility any thing of humanity or good breeding Such odious Pictures should be abominated and cast away as a detestable thing And though there may be much art shewn in such draughts yet the exquisiteness of such Pictures as these no modest eye can indure to behold Methinks the art will never compensate for the immorality and infectiousness of the Picture 5. Lascivious dresses A modest and comely adornment of the body does very much declare the modesty and purity of the mind But a garish immodest dress naked breasts and shoulders what do they declare but a vain and frothy mind to say no worse And what a great offence do these things give to those that are serious and sober Nay they say the Pope himself hath severely prohibited this practice to the Ladies of Rome as being immodest and unseemly And methinks we that are Protestants should have a greater zeal for chastity and purity than the Pope And as for painting and spotting the face and hanging out the signes of half moons and stars and the like why do they do it said once a Reverend Divine of our Church if they do not intend to entertain strangers But alas he that shall go about to reprove these things in so corrupt and degenerate an age as this is is like to get little more by it than to be laughed at for his pains But let them laugh on and laugh to the end if they can while the faithful reprover having discharged his conscience leaves the success to God 10. If other remedies will not do make use of the remedy of Gods own appointment which is lawful wedlock observe what the Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 7.2 9. For the avoiding of fornication let every man have his own wife and euery woman her own husband For better is it to marry than to burn And if any shall say they fear poverty and a great charge will come upon them if they should marry let them consider that it is a thousand times better to lead a poor life in the fear of God according to his own ordinance which he hath sanctified than to defile their bodies and Souls with uncleanness and impurity though they might gain never so much of the world by such a course I shall shut up this discourse with the advice of pious Mr. Herbert in his Church-Porch Wholly abstain or wed Thy bounteous Lord Allows thee choice of paths take no by-wayes But

A SUPPLEMENT TO Knowledge AND PRACTICE Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious Disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness By Samuel Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somerset-Shire Useful for the Instruction of private Families Quod de Scripturis authoritatem non habet pari facilitate rejicitur qua accipitur Hieron LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1679. To the INHABITANTS of NORTH-CADBURY in SOMERSETSHIRE My Loving Friends SOme years since when I stood in the Relation of a Pastor to you I wrote my Book of Knowledge and Practice aiming therein more especially at your benefit Which Treatise I hope through the Lords blessing hath been of some use to you I have since thought that it would not be a service unacceptable to you to add by way of Supplement a more full explication of the Main Principles of the Christian Faith and some Further Directions for regulating of your Practice and to send them unto you to supply my Personal absence God only knows whether I shall ever see your Faces again in this World Providence having fixed my Habitation at so great a distance from you However my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved and if this poor Book may in any measure contribute thereunto I shall heartily rejoyce The holy Apostles no doubt in writing their Epistles aimed at the Spiritual good of the Church in general yet we may well suppose that those particular Churches to whom their Epistles were directed read them with more especial regard and possibly reaped more signal benefits by them than others did So though I design these instructions for your Spiritual good and benefit of all those into whose hands they shall come Yet I hope they shall be more especially minded and regarded by you to whom they are particularly directed and in contemplation of whose necessities and with an aim at whose benefit they were particularly framed I know many of you are such of whom the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 Who have need that one teach you the first Principles of the Oracles of God and have need of milk and not of strong meat I should be glad to have you all rightly instructed in the main fundamentals of Christianity and that not for your sakes only but for my own that I may give up my account with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 But yet I must tell you that it is not enough to save any of you that you are of the true Religion except you be true to it and live agreeably thereunto God hath indeed made sufficient provision by the obedience and death of his Son to save Mankind But you must earnestly leg of God to inable you to do your part which is unfeignedly to repent of all your sins savingly to believe in Christ and to accept him for your Lord and Saviour and to deliver up your souls to him that you may be pardoned through the infinite merit of his active and passive obedience and sanctified by his Spirit and inabled by his grace to lead a holy and good life And as I earnestly desire you all to have an especial care of your own Souls so do I with some importunity intreat all that are Parents or Masters of Families among you that they would take great care to instruct their children and servants in the main Principles of the Christian Religion I have often thought that if ever real Piety and Christianity flourish in England more must he done by Parents and Masters in instructing those under their care than is now ordinarily done I hope this short Treatise may with the blessing of God something assist and help you in performing that part of your duty May the God of all grace lead you and guide you in ways of truth and holiness and inable you to live in love and peace one with another And though I should never see you again in this life yet may the Father of Mercies through his infinite goodness grant that I may meet your Souls in Heaven This is the earnest desire and prayer of him who was once your unworthy Pastor and is still your very loving and affectionate friend Wickham brook Novemb. 6. 1678. SAM CRADOCK The CONTENTS of the FIRST PART CHAP. I. Of God SECT 1. Of the Nature of God and his Divine Attributes page 1. SECT 2. Of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Divine Essence page 18. SECT 3. Of the works of God page 31. 1. Creation where Of good Angels page 32. Of evil Angels page 40. 2. Particular page 48. CHAP. 2. Of Man Page 62 SECT 1. Of the happy State wherein Man was created and the Covenant of Works made with him in that State p. 62. SECT 2. Of his Fall and the consequents thereof p. 66 SECT 3. Of the Covenant of Grace made with Man immediately after his Fall which shews the only way of his recovery to be by Jesus Christ p. 73 CHAP. 3. Of Jesus Christ Page 80 SECT 1. Of his Titles which in the Creed are four 1. Jesus p. 80 2. Christ where of his three Offices Prophet p. 83 Priest p. 86 King p. 88 3. His only Son p. 91 4. Our Lord p. 93 SECT 2. Of his Natures Divine and Humane p. 95 SECT 3. Of his birth p. 96 SECT 4. Of his Life p. 100 Here a short and methodical History of our Saviours Life is exhibited and the particular Times in which he instituted Baptism and the Sacrament of his Supper are pointed at Vpon both which Sacraments there are distinct discourses added at the end SECT 5. Of his Death and Burial p. 137 SECT 6. Of that Article in the Creed He descended into Hell page 131 SECT 7. Of his Resurrection and ten several appearings after it in the space of forty dayes he continued on the earth p. 143 SECT 8. Of his Ascention and sitting on Gods right hand p. 149 SECT 9. Of his coming to judg the World p. 154 CHAP. 3. SECT 1. Of the Holy Ghost p. 162 SECT 2. Of the Catholick Church 166 SECT 3. Of Communion of Saints p. 175 SECT 4. Of forgiveness of sins p. 178 SECT 5. Of the Resurrection of the body p. 193 SECT 6. Of Life everlasting Of Baptism p. 200 Of the Lords Supper p. 205 Of the Lords Prayer p. 220 The second part contains a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkennness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness ERRATA IN page 267 after the eighth Direction add Ninthly Take heed of saying ●s

Angels with him 3. A Throne will be set a Tribunal a seat of Judgment erected Mat. 19.28 The Son of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory c. Rom. 14.10 For we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ 4. There will be a personal apearance of all men before this Tribunal He shall judge both the quick that is those found alive at his coming upon whom a change different from death shall pass and the dead viz. that died before * It was a singular extraordinary priviledge v●uchsafed to Enoch and Elias that they should not di● But according to Gods ordinary and usual dispensation It is appointed to all men once to die Heb. 9.27 Acts 10.42 5. The Actions and Works of those that shall be judged shall then be manifested 1 Cor. 4.5 He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsells of the heart Eccles 12.24 God will bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil The Books will then be opened viz. 1. The Book of Gods Omniscience and Remembrance Mal. 3.16 and the book of Conscience Jer. 17.1 6. The Statutes shall be produced upon which they shall be tryed and found guilty or not-guilty And they are two 1. The Law of Nature written on Mans heart at his creation which requires perfect obedience and which God gave man power at first to perform 2. The Law or Covenant of Grace Now we shall all be found guilty upon the first Statute Woe to us if we be cast by the second also To prevent this let us set our selves seriously to repent of all our sins and by a lively faith lay hold on Christ and take him for our Lord and Saviour and faithfully endeavour to conform our selves unto his precepts 7. The evidence or witnesses that will be ready to prove the indictment against all impenitent sinners especially such as lived under the Gospel are 1. God the Father whose mercy was by them so wretchedly slighted 2. God the Son whose blood they trampled under their feet 3. God the Holy Ghost whose blessed motions they so often resisted 4. All faithful Ministers who strove with all affectionateness to draw them to Christ 5. All good Parents Governors Masters or faithful Christia● friends among whom they lived who gave them faithful counsel for the welfare of their Souls and a good example 6. All their sinful companions who were partakers with them in their sins 7. Their own Consciences which are a thousand witnesses 8. The Judge will pronounce sentence upon every one according to his works And this will be twofold 1. Of Absolution 2 Of Condemnation 1. Of Absolution to the Righteous in these words come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Matth. 25.34 The Saints of God shall first be acquitted before the wicked be condemned that they may afterwards joyn with Christ in Judging the World 1 Cor. 6.2 There the Apostle tells us that the Saints shall Judge the World that is not Authoritatively but by way of Approbation approving and magnifying Christs Righteous Sentence on Devils and wicked men and giving some such approbation probably as that of the Angel Rev. 16.5 Thou art Righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast thus Judged Thus all the Saints shall be Judges but some of them more eminently as Assessors with Christ as is intimated concerning the Apostles Matth. 19.28 ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 2. Of Condemnation upon the wicked Matth. 25.41 Then shall he say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 9. The execution of the Sentence and disposing of the persons Judged to their everlasting state according to that sentence Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal The sentence is irrevocable no reprieve to be expected Then there will be an everlasting separation between the Righteous and the Wicked 4. What will be the consequents of this Judgment 1. Christs resigning up his Kingdom not his essential Kingdom but that which he administred as mediator to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 2. The burning of the World of which we read 2 Pet. 3.12 By which fire some think the World shall not be utterly consumed but renewed clarified and refined I come now to the Application which I shall reduce to three heads This Doctrine of the day of Judgment may be useful 1. By way of exhortation to all 2. By way of consolation to the Righteous 3. By way of terror to the Wicked 1. By way of exhortation to all 1. Let us all labour to strengthen and confirm in our selves a belief of this great Article There is no Doctrine more certain in the word of God nor more clear and fundamental than this of the day of Judgment Heb. 6.2 2. Let us frequently meditate on it let us often think on those awakening places 2 Thes 1.7.8 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Jude verse 14.15 And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him To think often of this great day may prevent many a sin Psal 58.11 Verily there is a reward for the Righteous and doubtless there is a God that Judgeth the earth 3. Let us all solemnly prepare our selves for this great tryal by setting up a Judgment Seat in our own Souls before-hand 1. Let us seriously examine our state towards God Every one is either a Child of Wrath and Perdition or a Child of God and an heir of Heaven Let us examine whether we are the one or the other We keep a great stir about Sects but the truth is there are but two great Sects or Parties in the World And those are either such as are for the present in the state of Nature or such as are in the state of Grace Let us therefore seriously consider to which of these two we do belong Let us consider what our present state is Have we the marks of a converted person upon us or no Has the work of sound conversion ever passed upon us or no Let us remember

all must not be referred to the Oath it self but to the manner of the Oath that is we must not swear at all falsely rashly or in ordinary communication neither directly by the name of God nor by the creatures And to prevent this our Saviour adds Verse 37. Let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil As if he should have said what you have to affirm * Quod affirmatis vere affirmate quod negatis vere negate Rabbini dicunt Justorum etiam est etiam non eorum est non Ausonius ad Paulinum Cum multa loquaces Ambiguis sererent verbis contra onmia solum Est respondebat vel Non. affirm it simply without an Oath and what you have to deny deny it simply without an Oath * Christianos sui temporis repre●endit Tertullianus qui aut ignorantia aut consuetudinis vitio dicerent mehercule medius fidius quod post eum fecit Hieronymus for customary swearing by whatsoever it is that men swear cometh of Satan and the corruption of their own hearts A true and plain affirmation and negation in daily speech is sufficient and if you use any thing more you will be in danger of sinning and falling into the judgment * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heinsius verba Christi Mat. 5. verse 34. ad quae Jacobus sine dubio respicit conjuncta legit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Unde emergit sensus non quidem omninò non esse jurandum cum opus est sed nullum ex j●randi formulis tum usitatis usurpandum Heathenish Oaths also are not to be allowed except they will say they personate Heathens in the use of them as aedipol mehercule per Jovem immortalem Cursed be that elegancy that is joyned with Idolatry sayes the learned Downham and condemnation of God Further that our Saviour speaketh here only of private Oaths it is manifest in that the Jews did not in their publick oaths before the Magistrate swear by the creatures but by the name of God only And this may also be gathered out of the Text it self For he saith let your communication or ordinary speech one to another be yea yea nay nay 4. I come now to shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken The Prophet Jeremy instructs us fully as to this Chap. 4.2 Thou shalt swear saith he the Lord liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousness 1. In truth That is truly swearing nothing but the truth and not abusing the dreadful name of God to attest a falshood Zech. 5.4 God severely threatens him that sweareth falsly by his name 2. In judgment that is considerately well weighing what thou art to swear and by whom 3. In righteousness binding thy self to nothing but what is in it self just and right and having a full purpose to perform what thou by oath bindest thy self to and being careful to make it good accordingly Concerning the rites and forms of swearing I find these mentioned in the Scripture 1. Lifting up the hand to the most high God Thus Abraham swore Gen. 14.22 And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most h gh God c. And thus the Angel swore Rev. 10.5 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever 2. Putting the hand under the thigh Thus Abrahams servant swore Gen. 24.2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house that ruled over all that he had Put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh And I will make thee swear by the Lord God of Heaven and the God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife for my Son of the daughters of the Canaanites And thus Jacob caused Joseph to swear Gen. 47.29 30 31. If now I have found grace in thy sight put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh and swear unto me And he sware unto him Our rite of swearing for the Commons of England is by putting the hand on the book of the Gospels and kissing it which is to be understood as I suppose only to signifie our believing in God and expecting help from him through Christ according to the Gospel as we speak the truth Dr. Ames lib. 2. Med. c. 10. sayes that solemnity which in some places is used of touching and kissing the book is plainly of the same kind and import with the elevation of the hand that is it signifies a mans consent to swear and to the oath it self * In Solomons time when they took an Oath they touched the Altar which Ceremony was also used among the Gentiles Whereby was signified that they called him to witness who was worshipped with Sacrifices offered upon those Altars But if any scruple this rite and form of swearing and had rather use that other of lifting up the hand to the most high I see no reason if it may stand with the laws of the Land but that they may be indulged therein this form of swearing being every way as binding as the other 5. I come now in the next place to shew the great evil and sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing This is a sin very rise and common in our Nation and one of those for which the Land mourns I shall therefore present several arguments and considerations which may sufficiently demonstrate the heinousness of it 1. Consider how Sacred and Venerable the name of our great God ought alwayes to be unto us Every thought and mention of it should be accompanied with reverence 'T is a duty strictly injoyned Deut. 28.58 Thou shalt fear the glorious and dreadful name of the Lord thy God How great a sin then is it to vilify prophane and make it common How high a provocation must it needs be to the Almighty for poor mortals familiarly to toss his dreadful name in their mouths upon every slight occasion and to make it the ordinary expletive or filling up of their speech and language Surely some of the more civilized Heathens were of better minds and used the names of their gods with more reverence But O the impiety of our times How prophanely and irreverently do some who call themselves Christians use the name of the great God whom the Angels in Heaven continually delight to laud and praise crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Heaven the whole earth is full of his glory Isa 6.3 2. Consider that the second and third Commandments of all the rest have several threatnings annexed to them to shew us how greatly God is provoked by Idolatry and taking his name in vain He threatens he will not hold such guiltless that is he will be so far from absolving or acquitting such transgressors that he will grievously punish them and they shall not escape his just Judgement

imaginable and to this end God usually designs it As he sayes by the Prophet Hosea 5.15 I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face In their affliction they will seek me early Josephs Brethren are a great instance of this who when they were put into prison and brought into distress then their consciences began to tell them how they had used their Brother Joseph Gen. 24.21 Verily we are guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us 2. By sanctified afflictions he calls for the exercise of their Faith Patience Humility Self-denial and will crown and reward the exercise of these graces which he himself hath planted in them 3. Hereby he crucifies their hearts to the world As Nurses lay worm-wood or some bitter thing upon their nipples when they intend to wean their Children so God imbitters the world oftentimes to his own Children to wean them from it We read how Antigonus seeing a Soldier of his venture upon any danger and observing withal that he was very sickly took care to have him recovered to good health which done the man would not expose himself as before he had used to do alledging that now his life was of more value to him and not to be hazarded as when it was only a burden Thus we see how prosperity makes men love the World whilst afflictions wean them from it 4. Hereby he quickens their devotion and excites the spirit of prayer in them whereas before possibly they were too cold and formal in their prayers now they pray earnestly How did Daniel pray in the Lions den How did Jonah pray in the Whales belly How did the three Worthies pray in the fiery furnace People under afflictions pray at another rate than those do who are at ease and in prosperity 5. Hereby he conforms them unto his Son who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs And the Apostle tells us Rom. 8.17 If we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him 9. Take heed of all eager and inordinate desires There is scarce any thing in this world more dangerous to a man than such vehement desires Omnis inordinatus appetitus sibi ipsi poena est Commonly God crosses eager desires and there is not a more ready way to miss any thing we have a mind unto or to have it cursed to us than over eagerly to desire it Strong affections breed strong afflictions Alas we are very unmeet choosers for our selves We see not what that person or that place or that thing we so eagerly desire may prove Many have been ready with Rachel to say give me children or else I die when those children they have so earnestly desired have afterwards broken their hearts with grief and vexation at their ill-carriage Whenever therefore we find any eager desires or longings in our selves after any wordly thing we should be afraid of them and check them as foreboding ill to us And further we should consider how much our eager desires after worldly things do shame and aggravate the weakness of our spiritual desires We can eagerly long for this or that worldly accommodation can hardly sleep for thinking of it but for heaven or heavenly things how cold how indifferent are we 10. Seeing true Christian contentment is a lesson taught only in Christs School let us all be willing to be his Scholars and put our selves into his School Paul learnt this lesson here I know how to be abased and I know how to abound I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all these things through Christ strengthning of me Phil. 4.12 13. Philosophers have many precepts and directions about contentment but alass they are all short of teaching this lesson effectually Lipsius that had written a book de Stoica Philosophia and had gathered together many of their precepts of Patience when he came to dye a friend of his told him of that book and advised him to remember what he had there written yes sayes he but Domine da mihi patientiam Christianam Lord give me Christian Patience for that is it which I now need But if this lesson be only taught in Christs School you will ask me how does Christ teach it I answer he teaches it three wayes by his word by his example and by his Spirit 1. He teaches it by the Precepts of his word whereby he enjoyns and commands it Luke 21.19 In your Patencei possess your souls 1 Tim. 6.11 Follow after righteousness Faith Love Patience Meekness Jam. 1.4 Let Patience have its perfect work that you may be intire wanting nothing 2 Pet. 1.6 Add to Faith Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godliness Because thou hast kept the word of my Patience saith the Angel to the Church of Philadelphia that is my word which I commanded thee to be Patient I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation 2. Christ teaches it by the Promises of his word He hath made many gracious promises in his word which are a great means to support his people and to frame their hearts to contentation in every condition In Heb. 13.5 He hath made a promise of provision for them Be content with such things as you have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Psal 34.10 The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing In Psal 91.11 He hath made a promise of protection unto them He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes Heb. 1.14 Are not they all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of Salvation In Jam. 1.5 He hath made a promise of counsel to those that are in perplexity and under trouble If any man lacketh wisdom that is to dir●ct him how to govern himself under any afflicted condition Let him ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not 2 Cor. 7.6 He hath made a promise of comfort to those that are unde● great fears and apprehensions of dangers There the Apostle tells us that He is a God who comforteth those that are cast down In Esai 41.10 He hath made a Promise to strengthen his People under great pressures Fear thou not for I am with thee Be not dismai'd for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness In Rom. 8.28 He hath made a promise to order all things for their good We know sayes the Apostle that all things work together for good to them that fear God 3. Christ teaches it by his own example Learn of me saith our Saviour Mat. 11.29 For I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest to your