THE PARENTS PRIMER AND THE MOTHERS LOOKINGGLASSE OR Counsel for Parents in the Education of CHILDREN for their Temporal Spiritual and Eternal HAPPINESSE In a DIALOGUE between A MINISTER and a FATHER To which is added A Second Dialogue of the DECALOGUE And to that A Third DIALOGUE concerning The SABBATH-DAY By J WAITE Minister of Gods Word LONDON Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 The Father to the Children SHALL Make known thy Truth Isa 38.19 Bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the LORD Eph. 6.4 London Printed by J. A. for the Author and are to be sold by N. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultrey and R. Janeway in Queens-head-Alley in Pater-noster-row 1681. To the Unskilfull Reader WHether I speak with Tongue or Pen I respect Them most who want my Help If you do so and can own Unskilfull for a Fit Title they say I am the Person for whose sake this Epistle is written And for your sake Let us desire the Expert Reader to dispense with your Passage through this Porch In which I desire You will remain my Scholar one hour and learn these Three Lessons First To know the Points used in Print 1 Lesson which are these Seven 1 A Comma It 's a Point at end of a Short Part of a Sentence without Perfect Sense And it 's a note of some little Pause Stop or Breathing in Reading It 's marked Thus 2 A Semicolon It 's a Pause a little longer than a Comma It 's marked Thus 3 A Colon. It 's a longer Pause than the former and it s a part of a Sentence that makes Sense without the Full Sentence yet so as the rest is expected to compleat it It 's marked Thus 4 A Period It 's a full perfect Point put at end of a compleat Sentence It 's marked Thus. Observe the Sense contained in a Sentence or you Read Confusion 5 A note of Exclamation or Admiration It 's put at end of an Expression uttered by way of Out-cry or Wonder It 's marked Thus As O how lofty are their eyes Pro. 30.13 6 A note of Interrogation It 's put at end of a Question It 's marked Thus As Why should we die in thy presence Gen. 47.15 7 Parenthesis It 's a Clause included or shut in with two Semicircles or half Moons though it give some Strength to a Sentence yet if left out the Sense remains Sound It 's marked Thus As Let me I pray thee drink a little water of thy pitcher Gen. 24.17 Second To know where the Emphasis layeth in a Sentence Emphasis is an Expression of the Mind by a Word expressed with some Earnestness or Force This Word I begin with a Capital or Great Letter Here note words which must alway begin with Capitals 1 The first Word of every Sentence Pro. 9.10 As The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom So if the Sentence begin with a Single Letter Pro. 1.5 Joh. 10.11 As A wise man will hear I am the good Shepherd O that they were wise Deu. 32.29 c. 2 The first Word of the Saying of an Other Related though it do not begin a Sentence As Joh. 7.46 The officers answered Never man spake like this man And many of them said He hath a Devil Chap. 10.20 21. and is mad Others said These are not the words of him that hath a Devil 3 The first Word or Letter of every Verse or Line in Poety As A man without learning Cato doth say May be compared to an Image of Clay 4 Proper Names 1 Of God as Jehovah Of Christ as Jesus Of an Angel as Gabriel Of Men and Women as Adam Abel Daniel Dorcas Of Countries as Asia England Spain Of Cities as London Jerusalem Of Towns as Barnet Bethany Of Places or Hills as Eden Sinai Of Rivers as Thames Jordan Cedron Of Months as Jan Feb Abib Of the four Winds as East W N S. Proper Names I put in Italian Different Letters and so to put other Names is Improper 5 Appellatives or Common Names which are common to all of that Kind 1 Of People as Jew Hebrew Gentile Heathen Christian Protestant Papist Pagan Indian Names of Arts as Printer Painter Mercer Grocer Of Dignity as Emperour King Q Prince Pope Duke Of Offices as Ambassador Priest Prophet Pastour Apostle Elder Deacon Judge General Captain Of Dayes as Sabbath Of Spirits as Angel Cherub Seraphim Devil Satan Note god if a false god must begin with a small letter But the true God with a Capital And Father Son Spirit Lord Christ Ghost when they Signifie the True God or the Persons in the Holy Trinity To which I adde Names of Books so many as are not Proper Names of Men and Women as Gen Exod And of Tongues as Hebrew Greek Latine English Most of these Names Proper and Appellative stand Thin in this Book In all these Words which always begin with Capitals the Emphasis seldom layeth when it doth I put that Word all in Capitals that you know it at ease When an other Word is all in Capitals it signifies the Greater Emphasis Now for Emphatical Words The Emphasis is tied to no Word whatever It is sometime in a Substantial Word Sometime in two or three such words together Sometime in a small Word as be do so no to at of off on in out as I will No more have mercy on the house of Israel In other place no hath no Emphasis as Pro. 3.30 Strive not with a man if he have done thee no harm In other place it 's in the Substantial word Mercy Mat. 15 22 as Have Mercy on me O Lord As when Sea-men are Sinking with this cry Mercy Mercy There is the Emphasis In other place by reason of the Excellent Emphaticalness of the Expression you may put it in This or That Word as you Will as I Will surely have mercy I will Surely have mercy I will surely have Mercy upon him saith the Lord Sometime the Emphasis Jer. 31.20 Is and is Not in the Same Word Pro. 31.2 in the Same Sentence as What my Son and what the son of my Womb To misplace it makes it give an unpleasant senseless sound as what the Son of my womb It 's in Vain to put Force upon a Wrong Word it 's like a Stroke at a Wooden Bell. These Emphatical Words observed will help you to understand the Sense And if besides the Words which constantly begin with Capitals there Be ever a Capital that is not Emphatical yet it 's Substantial and serves to shew the Sense as all Emphatical Words do Emphatical Words begun with Capitals avoids that Hodge Podge they make who put Half their Words in Different Letters Third To understand Abbreviation 3 Lesson or Shortning of Words which for Brevity Sake is used in Books Some of them are the First Letters of Latine Words which many Authors use but Explain not for their
Fopperies to be fanned away and Burned as not deserving to be otherwise Answered Yea such sottish doltish Deep Dreams damnable Dreams that I could hazard my heart Blood to bear witnesse against them Fath. You say Peter and Paul preached the law Object 10 Paul saith they were Ministers of the N T not of the Letter i e the Law which saith he killeth and he calls it a Ministration of death †2 Cor. 3.6 7. Min. There is a threefold killing by the law 1 By applying the Curse to a Prophane person and leaving him under it in despair 2 By condemning a Precise person for his imperfect obedience Thus many are killed and yet secure but they will find themselves killed at Last let them do their Best Thus the Law is a Ministry of death 3 To kill self-confidence in self-righteousnesse To make a Sinner sensible of the sentence of Condemnation he is under as one dead in Law Simile at stake to be Burned at pits brink to be damned so as to be set a seeking life by Free Grace Thus the law is a Ministry of death too but this is the way to life Thus Paul was killed saith he I was alive i e I thought so I seemed so without the law i e without the knowledge of the law or killing condition of the C W but when the commandment came i e the knowledge of it sin revived and I died * Ro. 7.9 For without the law sin was dead †Ver. 8. Simile i e Seemingly as a Ban-dog in a deep sleep but wake him and he will fly in your face to pull out your throat Simile So sin when the commandment comes as a messenger to tell a Prisoner he is condemned at Court to die Obedience to the law for life is in no wise to be preached up so Paul was not a Minister of the law But to preach the law to convince Sinners and counsel Saints is the part of a Minister of the N T and he that refuses so to preach the law is no Minister for me nor do I value him above them Popish Priests who having heard the letter killeth cast off the law and all good literature Mr T. lest they should be killed with the letter Fath. I will no longer hinder you in your Twelve Notes promised as yet there is but Two delivered I pray proceed and let me hear the Rest Min. That is well if our strife be at an end and will you also attend Fath. Yes I desire to hear the end Min. Third As a Minister when he hath preached a Sermon gives it in writing to one of a weak Memory Note 3. Simile The M L given as a Sermon or puts it in Print for Publick profit so when God had preached this Sermon on Mount Sinai he gave it to Moses for the use of Israel on two Tables of Stone written with the Finger of God * Exo. 31.18 The first Table containeth the First four commandments which declare mans duty to GOD obedience to which is properly called Piety The second Table containeth the Last six commandments which declare mans duty to Man obedience to which is properly called Equity Christ is pleased to contract these Ten into Two Christ's contraction viz 1 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart c †Mat. 22.37 2 Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy Self This contraction of ten into two is to teach us these Lessons 1 That God is to be loved Before and More than all men thou shalt love the Lord c this is the First and Great commandment †Ver. 38. 2 That the main Spring of mans obedience to both Tables must be LOVE viz Love to God Love to man 3 A summary account of the large Extent of both Tables on these two hang All the law and the Prophets * Ver. 40. 4 The impossibility of such perfect obedience as the law requires considered as a C W that consequently it may become our School master to Christ to be justified by his obedience to the law and not rest in our Own to our Ruine Fourth Note 4. A Second Edition The law thus written on Tables of Stone was a Second Edition and Impression of the primitive perfect law written on the Table of Adam's heart in Innocency By his Fall he brake this Table in pieces And man having but a poor imperfect knowledge of God's law left God did graciously make known his law by making it audible to the Ear at Mount Sinai and visible to the Eye on Tables of Stone Since which God hath by his good Providence put it upon Paper and written a Book responsible to Job's wish †Job 31.35 The Book of Books viz the Blessed Bible The O T in Hebrew the language of Gods people of Old The N T in Greek which when written was more generally known among the Nations Since both are Translated into the Native language of the Nations who do enjoy them and Happy are they that Well use them Fist The M L which is an Epitomy Note 5. The M L given in few words or Breviary and the Sum of the Will of God and Whole duty of man God hath delivered in few Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ten words * Exo. 34.28 a Command for it's Concisenesse called a Word No more Commands than a man hath fingers on his Hands that he may easily carry them in his Head and get acquainted with them and not plead Largeness to excuse Ignorance which probably would be his Plea if God had delivered his mind in a multiplicity of Precepts A Plea prevented and Words Sixt. God hath by his Servants the Prophets Apostles and by the Son himself Expounded and Branched out in the Bible Note 6. The M L branched by 10000. words these Ten words with more than Ten thousand words to prevent this Pretence also for Ignorance viz This Brevity is Obscurity this Shortnesse is Darknesse a Word is for the Wise we are Weak if God would have Us understand his Mind he should have explained it with more Words It is Done God hath SO spake as to speak all men Speechlesse Prudence prevents pretences So as to stop every mouth and make All the world guilty before God †Ro. 3.19 Seventh Note 7. Eight Negatives in Ten. All the ten commandments but two i e the fourth and fift are delivered Negatively i e by way of Denying and Forbidding of sin to signifie that the Right way to be Religious or Practically obedient is to be first Negatively so e g Depart from Evil and do Good †Psal 34.14 cease to do Evil learn to do Well * Isa 1.16 17. If a man flee not Sinfull Vices it is in vain to follow Religious Courses N B A precept for Faith is included in the First Commandment which will appear before we part And it is in the Preface to
all the Ten to signifie that Faith and a New Heart are necessary Antedecents for both Negative and Positive obedience to follow for a man must Be good before he can Do good Eight Note 8. Negatives include Positives Every Negative command includes a Positive command i e when God forbiddeth evil Expressely he biddeth good Implicitly e g Thou shalt have no other gods before me †Exo. 20.3 there is the evil of idolatry forbid Expressely thou shalt have Me for thy God there is the good of choosing God commanded Implicitly Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain * Ver. 7. this is the evil forbid thou shalt talk Vertuously and Graciously of thy God this is the good commanded Thou shalt not Kill commit Adultery Steal c †Ver. 13 14 15. these are evils expressely Forbid thou shalt Prevent murder adultery theft in Others by good counsel if thou canst this is good implicitly Commanded Positives include Negatives And Positive commands include Negative commands e g Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy * Ver. 8. there is good expressely Commanded remember it not to Prophane it with thy Own works words thoughts there is evil implicitly Forbid Honour thy father and thy mother †Ver. 12. is good Commanded dishonour them not is the evil Forbid Ninth Note 9. A negative includes negatives A Negative command includes Many negative commands The sin forbid is forbid in Act Word and Thought and the Occasion of it and whatsoever hath a Tendency to it And these Inclusive commands are Expressed as they are Branched out in the Bible e g Thou shalt have no other gods before me q d No National god imaginable no Personal or private god of wood to worship in thy House no god of Gold in thy Heart thy Self Wife Child House Land Friend Goods Gold shall not be thy gods as they will Be if loved more than Me. And see with what Caution the Occasion of idolatry is forbid in these Texts * Deu. 12.30 Thou shalt not Kill not with Hand Ch. 13.1 3. Mouth murder nor with Tongue to be a Mouth-murderer as some call a Slanderer and so we may call an evil Counceller Not with Heart to be a Heart-murderer he that hates his brother is a murderer †1 Joh. 3.15 Kill not by evil Counsel or bad Example neither Do nor Say any thing that may Tend to or Occasion thy neighbours death in Body or Soul Thou shalt not kill thy Self Not with violent Hands nor with Words spoken against thy own life nor by Carelesnesse of deaths and dangers nor by ill Diet not by Drunkennesse nor by Gluttony Plures periere Gula quam Gladio more die by the Board than by the Sword Thou shalt not commit adultery Not in Act nor in Heart whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his Heart * Mat. 5.28 Christ calleth a Thought an Act to signifie that Smal sin in Mans sight is Great sin in GOD's sight Thou shalt not occasion it by unclean Cogitations and Contemplations nor by adulterous Discourses with Delilahs Remove thy way F AR from her and come not nigh the door of her house †Pro. 5.8 Simile As he that carrieth Gun powder about him had need keep far from Fire so he that carrieth Corruption had need keep far from Temptation As when children meet a Horse Simile Cart or Cow they will if timerous run Ten times farther out of the way than need so let men learn to flee from Sin Keep thee Far from a false matter * Exo. 23.7 Avoid it passe not by it turn from it and passe away †Pro. 4.15 The law is Spiritual * Ro. 7.14 it forbids the Least evil motion and First carnal conception it commands our Spirits and Hearts to be holy it condemneth for the most Secret sin in the Soul It is called the Royal law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingly law †Jam. 2.8 it is the law of the King of Kings No earthly Kings law can condemn a man for a secret thought against the King Dissimile but this Divine Law of the King of Heaven can and doth it condemneth a man for the most Secret thought against the Law-giver Tenth Note 10. A positive includes positives A Positive command includes Many positive commands e g Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy q d Remember it to Prepare for it to begin it Early to spend it in holy duties in holy discourses in holy meditations to be in the Spirit to cause all under you to keep it holy Honour thy Father and thy Mother Honour them in Deed in Word in Thought in their Presence in their Absence in their Old Age when tempted by the Devil and by the disobedient to dishonour them when they Please thee when they Displease thee Rebuke and Correct thee N B A Negative command inclusively commands All lawfull means to avoid the evil forbid and a Positive command inclusively commands All lawfull means to perform the good commanded On these things I have but Harped and Touched for One of these Ten Words is a great Text and to shew what is contained in a Commandment would make a long Sermon for thy commandment is Exceeding Broad †Psal 119.96 ¶ This tenth Note having some respect to the Sabbath A lesson for the Lords day leads me to leave this Lesson with you viz Fail not to learn your children to Reverence the Sabbath day FAR be it from you to follow our English Heathens Hatefull Heathens who let their children Loose to serve Satan on the Sabbath day Tell them of the Sore judgments God hath sent upon Sabbath-breakers for which Search the Scriptures and See the Practice of Piety Practice of Piety preferred one of the Best Books but one that ever was written and is like to rise up in judgment against many N B God delivered no other commandment as he delivered this for the Sabbath e g. 1 It hath a Memento presixt viz Remember 2 It is amplified with Arguments more than all the rest except the Second 3 It is delivered Positively keep it holy and Negatively thou shalt not do any work and so is no other commandment delivered FAIL not in this for the Fear of God this Glorious and Fearfull name THE LORD THY GOD * Deu. 28.58 Eleventh Note 11. Heaven and Earth made in Six dayes The GREAT GOD that was but Six dayes in making Heaven and Earth was twice Forty dayes and Forty nights in writing and delivering these Ten Words †Ex. 24.18 to remain a Law and Rule for mans life And Moses was as long waiting Ch. 34.28 prostrate on his Face fasting to receive them * Deu. 9.9 10 11 18. he did neither eat bread nor drink water but did uncessantly attend this Heavenly