In particular 1 Taking all in the best part 2 Passing by offences 3 Rejoycing at others weifare 4 Contentation with his estate 5 Humility 6 Trust in God according to his nature and promises 7 To cast his care on God 8 Inward peace joy and assurance 2 In his house to avoid 1 In words 1 In generall all prophane talke 2 In particular 1 Hastinesse to mine 2 Medling in others matters In his house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 In words 1 In generall all edifying talk 2 In particular 1 Sobernesse to mine 2 Speaking the best of others 2 To eschew in behaviour 1 All loosnesse 2 Unseemlinesse 3 Filthinesse 2 To imbrace in behaviour 1 Stayednesse 2 Comlinesse 3 Purity 3 In company to eschew 1 In heart 1 Evill surmises of the words or carriage of others towards him 2 Partiality 3 Self-conceitednesse 2 In words 1 Unadvisednesse 2 Superfluousnesse 3 Unseasonablenesse 4 Uncharitablenesse 5 Contentiousnesse 3 In carriage 1 Lightnesse or familiatity 2 Strangenesse 3 Loftinesse 4 Uncomlinesse 4 In actions 1 Society with prophane persons 2 Excesse or tipling 3 Giving any evill example to any 4 Shewing any liking of sin 5 Seeking to humour men in ill In company to embrace 1 In heart 1 Taking all in good part 2 Directnesse 3 Lowlinesse 2 In words 1 Pre-consideration 2 Paucity 3 To the purpose 4 Charitablenesse 5 Friendlinesse 3 In behaviour 1 Gravity or reservednesse 2 Affability 3 Humility 4 Seemlinesse 4 In action 1 Good company 2 Following good example 3 Giving good example 4 Wisely reproving sinne 5 By all meanes honouring God 4 Concerning Gods publike family or private worship 1 To eschew 1 All will worship 2 Superstition 3 Unpreparednesse 4 Negligence 5 Customarinesse 6 Habituall distractions 7 Relying too much on the meanes And to embrace 1 The warrant of Gods word for the duties 2 For the manner of performing them 3 Preparation 4 Attention 5 Conscionablenesse 6 Setlednesse 7 Resting on Gods blessing Amen Amen Considerations to move to Christian watchfulnesse 1 In seeking thus Gods glory he will honour us againe 1 Sam. 2.30 2 That we are every where in the sight of God who knoweth the heart Jeremiah 17.9 10. heareth our words Ps 139.4 beholdeth all our wayes ver 1 2 3. to reward every one according to their doings Jerem. 17.10 3 We shall hereby enjoy sweet communion with our God in Christ John 14.21 Rev. 3.20 4 And be most blessed here and for evermore in every thing Ps 144.15 84.11 Rom. 8.28 For the moouth of the Lord hath spoken it therefore it shall be performed and nothing shall let it Amens All by Gods grace onely From henceforth constantly Every day seasonably With Christian conveniency In the Morning To awake with God To shake off sloath To arise timely To pray for himselfe solemnly To read in Gods Word reverendly To call to mind some of his Vowes seriously And some of the promises deliberately To sing part of a Psalme understandingly In the Afternoon To pray for his Family affectionately To read in Gods Word advisedly And in his holy Advices observantly And somewhat in the Oracles of God distinctly In the Evening To pray for Gods Church humbly To read in Gods Word holily And somewhat in the Practice of Piety carefully And in the true watch for Examination impartially To lye downe to rest with prayer to avoyd all occasions of impurity And so to sleep securely Every Sabbath Besides accustomed publike Family and private duties on that day Three severall times to caâ—â— to mind some of Gods especiall and recorded mercies By the Lords most seasonable mercifull powerfull faithfully promised constant assistance which to this end I crave rest on and look for onely without which instead of doing better I shall doe worse then formerly yea every way most hainously I resolve and shall endeavour watchfully and constantly to avoyd all intemperance immoderate taking Tobacco vaine talking unseemly carriage pride lust passion and discord and all occasions of each and to embrace the contrary graces and all meanes thereto As thou art a God of mercy power and truth show it herein unto me and let thy grace my God in Christ be alwales sufficient for me Concerning decay in Prayer A Lwayes when he found himselfe so decay in zeale and care to pray his conscience checkt him for unthankfulnesse for former assistance in praying or for depending too much upon his prayers whereupon he felt a deadnesse to all other good duties a yeelding to the motions and occasions of sinne an inward puffing up a carelesnesse and self-presuming yea a miserable distemper in all things and then he conceived himselfe to be neare some sore temptation foule fall grievous inward dejection or great outward calamity therefore he held it his instantly to fall to prayer that the Lord would please to restore unto him the spirit of prayer to work in him a willingnesse to all other holy exercises to give him strength to resist and overcome the provocations to evill to humble him deeply in the sense of his former faults and present corruptions to make him truly thankfull and watchfull and in the strength of the Almighty onely out of conscience to doe his duty to bring all into good order and to keep all so constantly and most graciously powerfull and faithfully to prevent the sinnes perplexities and troubles he feares merits and hath cause to expect to be left unto and which he else by no means can escape so awaiting the Lords leasure and submitting to his good pleasure goe all how it will all shall goe well Amen my Father in Christ of thine owne meere mercy be I never so unworthy as thou hast promised whatsoever opposeth Amen Amen even so be it Amen Some most especiall choice places of sacred Scripture that concerne my self in most especiall manner reduced to these heads 1 COncerning government of the mind page 349 2 Of the tongue p. 351 3 Of the conversation page 361 4 Of passion and sobriety p. 368 5 Of pride and humility p. 374 6 Of strise and peace 7 Of envy and charity 8 Of discontent and quiet 9 Of medling and reservednesse 10 Of sullennesse and chearfulnesse 1 Concerning government of the mind In the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom Exod 31.6 Give therefore thy servant an under standing heart that I may discerne between good and bad 1 King 3.9 Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Pro. 4 23. The preparations of the heart in man is from the Lord Pro. 16.1 The wise in heart shall be called prudent Pro. 16.21 A wise mans heart discerneth both time and iudgement Eccl. 8.5 A wise mans heart is at his right hand but a fools heart is at his left Eccl. 10.2 How weak is thine heart saith the Lord God seeing thou doest all these things Ezek. 16.30 Set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee Ezek. 40.4 If our heart condemnes us God is
expect all mercy grace peace comfort strength health safety succour help deliverance and salvation onely from thee oh grant each seasonably and effectually unto me Lord work all thy works iâ— me that I may serve thee as â— ought and work all my work for me that I may prosper a thou hast promised Lord make me as thou would dest have me and require whâ—â— thou wilt of me give me which thou seest best for me and dâ—â— what thou wilt with me Lord be my strength refuge and ready help at hand mâ— sufficiency safety and good successe and when where and how thou pleasest imploy me Lord cleare my innocency stop the mouth of injury faithfully worthily and in-offensively make me to discharge each part of my duty Lord make me wise warned watchfull and well governed by my former folly rashnesse weaknesse and misgovernment Lord let me no more be conformable to the sinfull and unseemly fashions of the world but reforme my whole man according to thy will Lord forgive and keep me from those sinnes whereby I have most dishonoured thee disgraced my Christian profession injured others clog'd my conscience terrified my souse or any way procured my selfe shame or harme Lord make me to make and let me find each part of thy Word my guide and comfort Lord direct governe restore comfort support establish inable protect provide for and blesse me as every one of my especiall occasions doe or may require of thee Lord at one time or other by one meanes or other ere we do part hence work for the effectuall conversion and everlasting salvation of every one of mine and I desire no more for them of thee Lord prepare me to meet the ere thy wrath come upon me in the day of calamity hide me under thine hand till thy indignation be over past Lord in wisdome love and faithfulnesse visit me and deale as thou pleasest with me Lord when all is past hope thou canst most easily help my case is fully knowne and wholy commended to thee thou hast helped remarkably thy hand is not shortned thy mercy never faileth thy truth endureth for ever towards me Lord let not my hope deceive nor thy help faile me oh cause me to make and let me find thy providence my portion continually so shall I be supplied seasonably and never want any thing thou seest good for me Lord prepare me to suffer to dye let every thing draw me neerer to thee let death bring me to life eternall with thee doe then what thou wilt with me call then when where and how thou pleasest for me Lord from sin shame harme in thy feare in a good repute and peace preserve me Lord how shall I behave my selfe in my present distressed estate and how wilt thou therein deale with me oh that thou wouldest dispose and dispatch all my businesse for me Lord all help faileth me none cares for me every thing seemâ— to crosse me yet help thou and all shall goe well with me Lord cause me to goe the right way to work and to submit to thy disposing wholy Lord let it appeare the right way is the best way never of never faile forsake or forget me let them that now for wel-doing scorn me see thou fovourest and releevest me Lord cause me secretly and sensibly to sorrow for my owne sinnes and to mourne for the abominations of the times and this uncessantly Lord affect me with the affections of Joseph rightly dispose me to pray for the peace of Zion seriously in all reforme and pardon me Lord give me feeling feeling feeling of all the good things I know and utter before thee thou knowest and I acknowledge the same to be extreamly wanting in me Lord let no thought of my heart nor word of my mouth be in vain for me but thou that art my strength and my Redeemer accept all my Meditations and expressions continually Lord carry me with wisdome patience comfort and good successe through all my great occasions Lord change my disposition reform my conversation speedily and powerfully wherein I am most averse from good and prone to evill especially Lord that thou wouldest instruct and inable me sincerely and circumspectly to order my lawfull affaires substantially whatsoever others may thinke speake or worke against me and that thine owne seasonablâ— and effectuall working to afforâ—â—n happy issue might according to thy mercy and truth appeare towards me Lord put me not off with outward mercies but vouchsafe me a portion of thy best blessings From sloath lust and carelesnesse from tatling tipling and trifling away time from putting off my private devotions from discontent and discord Good Lord deliver me Grounds of comfort against the nick-name of Puritane and Round-head It is nothing in respect of what hath been objected against Christ and the godly for there hath been objected against them grieuous things (a) Acts 25.7 gluttony (b) Mat. 11.18.19 madnesse (c) Joh. 10.20 blasphemy (d) Mat. 26.65 Mark 9.3 Acts 6.11 13 14. murder (e) Acts 28.4 deceiving (f) Joh. 7.12 2 Cor. 6.8 rebellion (g) Acts 17.6 7. rayling (h) Acts 23.4 babling idolatry (i) Acts 17.18 bringers of strange things (k) Acts 17.20 scisme (l) Acts 28.22 wickednesse of life (m) 1 Pet. 2.12 the abjects abused them (n) Psa 35.15 drankards sang of them (o) Psal 69.12 the basest derided them (p) Job 30.1 they were a reproach of men (q) Psal 22.12 a by-word (r) Psal 44.14 a proverbe (s) Psal 69.11 a wonder (t) Psal 17.7 Isa 8.18 gazing-stocks (u) 1 Cor. 4.9 fools (w) 1 Cor. 4.10 insufficient despised (x) Idem defamed made as filth and off-scowring (y) 1 Cor. 4.13 great men rayle at them (z) Psa 31.13 godly men censure them (a) Jobs friends 1 Cor. 4.4.10 and by slander excommunicate them (b) Isa 66.5 are most fouly scandalized (c) Ps 69.7 44.15 condemned by a whole Counsell (d) Mat. 27.1 Joh. 11.47 48. Acts 6.12 4.6.15 5.27 23.1 yea to suffer as evill doers (e) 2 Tim. 2.9 Psal 37.32 33. Psal 41.8 Isa 53.4 well if God condemnes us not what matters the censures and reproachfull nick-names of others (f) 1 Pet. 3.16 If good bad men both should judge amisse Keep conscience cleare tâ—ou needst not care I wisse Alas this is not to resist unto blood h Heb. 12.4 my Saviour sayes Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and shall say all manner of evill falsly for my sake reioyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you i Mat. 5.11 12. yea my most blessed Redeemer so have they abused thee and all thy dearest Servants oh then why should I that am not worthy the name of a Servant or Disciple think to be above my Lord and Master and better
making them subscribe all is paid when they never received the fifth part by detaining all or most part of their due for their passes by compelling them to runne away through extream hard and most unjust usage Oh consider this yee that forget God least I teare you in pieces and there be none to deliver you saith the Lord Psal 50.22 Will you dare you by your unlawfull courses and unrighteous gaines to serve your covetousnesse lust pride and excesse highly displease and dishonour God grievously wound by sinning against the light of your consciences betray the cause for which you serve and wrong the State in which you serve and he that doth not so will you abhor deride and harme him the Lord sees it and it displeaseth him Isa 59.15 Will you dare you doe all these and many more like unto these which to hide your shame I shame to reveale for I say little of your most detestable most accursed false attestations whereby all parties are grievously guilty of horrible perjury of your men of loose mearies of those you make use of only for a muster of your passavotants of your false billets and mustering some or whom you give no meanes bâ—â— a present reward for that base service and then turn them oâ—â—â— of your mustering others in the names of those long dead or away or in false names or passing Souldiers of other Companies in yours c. Oh Mystery of iniquity and yet flatter your selves that all is well and shall be well Or doe you think that God esteems or will spare you for your pride of heart bravery in apparell courtly behaviour high looks big words height in place greatnesse of power No or will he accept of your childish foolish wicked vaine excuses pretences extenuations neither â— for there be no circumstance can make an unlawfull thing lawfull Rom. 3.8 neither regardeth he any mans person Rom. 2.11 doe not deceive your selves is God God and will he be mocked Gal. 6.7 is Gods Word truth which declareth the hainousnesse and danger of these things and dare you live in and plead for them let Baal plead for himselfe Judg. 6.31 I plead for my God who hath a controversie with you Hos 4.1 Oh how farre are all these courses from Saint Iohns doctrine to Souldiers doe violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Luke 3.14 Away away then with this dung and filth this worse and lesse then nothing if you at all esteem that inestimable Jewell of Gods Word if you know beleeve in love feare and serve and trust in God as you would be thought let not these more then base most shamefull and harmefull courses which he hates forbids threatens hath plagued and will plague Mal. 1.6 Ier. 2.19 4.18 for a little bitter sweet short pleasure for a little paltry pelfe Iam. 5.1 2 3. rusty riches or the like trash which the very Heathens in respect of vertue abhorred rejected so farre hood-wink befool mislead you that for the love of them Rom. 6.23 you should run the hazard of losing of damning your poore soules your precious soules 1 Cor. 6.9 10. and shut your selves out of Heaven Oh what shall it profit a man if he gained the whole World and should lose his soule Oh let Gods glory his Churches good your soules welfare be preferred before your unlawfull gaines for soul lost and all lost and these are the high-wayes to hell Rev. 22.15 or are you yet so ignorant and so obstinate that you wil not Beleeve this Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Jer. 7.8 take Gods owne word for it which will not flatter which cannot deceive you your condition is and shall be most miserable He that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the middest of his dayes and at his end shall be a fool Jer. 17.11 and though you doe evill with both hands earnestly so that the Prince asketh and the Iudg. asketh for a reward and the great man he uttereth his mischievous desire and so ye wrap it up Mic. 7.3 yet wo unto you that devise iniquity and work evill upon your beds when the morning is light ye practise it because it is in the power of your hand Mic. 2.1 yea though hand joyne in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished Prov. 11.21 Apply among many more these following most plaine and powerfull places to this purpose then if you dare goe on devise by your selves consult with others abuse your wit and power to doe evill what then woe and punishment shall be your portion for further proof of this I beseech and admonish you read lay to heart and jest not with what followeth out of Gods owne Word expresly Woe to the wicked be they who they will be their wickednesse what it will it shall be evill with him evill of sorrow of shame of fearfull plagues here of horrible destruction for evermore shall be upon him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Isa 3.11 Loe it is a day of trouble and of ruine and of perplexity by the Lord God of Hosts Isa 22.5 23.9 Behold the Day of the Lord commeth cruell with wrath and fierce anger and he shall destroy the sinners out of the earth Isa 13.9 This day you say is not come it may be you conceit it will not come or not upon you and so put that day farre from you but you see God saith you see it commeth it shall surely come and what will you doe now in the day of visitation and destruction to whom will you flee for help and where will yee leave your glory the priviledges you presumed on will not secure you or whatsoever you gloried in shall nothing availe you Isa 10.3 for if you refuse and be rebellious though you thus long have escaped you shall be devoured with the sword a bullet shall meet with your head or heart when you little think of it and then it will be too late beleeve it goe the right way to work to prevent it for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Isa 1.20 infinite wayes hath God to find out thy iniquities feare and the pit and the snare are upon thee Isa 24.17 see Jer. 35.2 5 6. 16.4 6. 19.15 Deut. 18.16 destruction upon destruction is cryed for my people is foolish they have not known me they are foolish children and have none understanding they are wise to doe evill but to doe good they have no knowledge Jer. 4.20 22. the time will come that thy wayes and thine inventions shall procure these things unto thee such is thy wickednesse therefore it shall be bitter though it now seem sweet therefore it shall pierce to thine heart which thou now makest so much of Jer. 4.18 neither will it help that you have sought deep by plotting and councelling to hide your councells from the Lord although they were in darknesse never so secretly contrived and practised that
have not followed such courses then for my part 〈◊〉 there be no other remedy if I must needs dye poore I would rather dye poore and honest and leave a good repute then dye miserable and wicked and â—ink in the esteem and report of others or if some seem to grow rich by these wayes I dare boldly say such ill gotten goods shall not long prosper but either they or theirs shall find Gods hand one way or other against them and why should we not be perswaded the Lord can as easily and remarkably help us as he hath helped others and ours though many as if they were but one and ouâ— of the most and greatest troubles as if they were never so few and small for it is all on with him to whom nothing is impossible if we but as conscionable Christians depend upon his fatherly providence oh it is cur propanenesse and distrust that with-holds his fatherly help from us Further there are I feare but very few among us that will take no more by ill meanes then the States by ill payment take from us witnesse if the profit of twelve men would make good that charge the profit of thirty men will not serve our turne and this makes them say if we would allow the Captaines tenne or twelve dead payes they would cozen us neverthelesse therfore why should they have that allowance true the States know they are cozened but know not precisely who cozens them or by what meanes and although forcingly they conive at they doe not approve of it witnesse their strict forbidding and if they find any faulty their sharp punishing of it howsoever if the meanes I use be forbidden by God as the very best of these are being at least lying and deceiving I cannot see that any conivance or other circumstance can warrant me to use them I acknowledge againe ingeniously that Captaines in these Countries serve in a most uncomfortable and unhappy condition who by the ill payment are forced to live theeves or dye beggars or spend their owne meanes and that it is extream hard that in recompence of all our labour and danger which our calling is subject to more then others we and our wives and children cannot ear bread except it be the bread of deceit and violence which though it seem sweet for the present will choake us in the end neither can I see any reason or equity in them that are the cause of such our extremities and if they can doe not redresse neither doe I see how authority will ever be able to answer it before Gods judgement sear that they have not removed the cause of such unrighteous dealings whereby I dare averre it for experientiâ doeet it is now come to that passe that it is impossible to serve the Land truly and hold fast our integrity are we not then in a fine case and is not the Lands service come to a fine passe and are we not like to prosper when we that are imployed in the service serve in a course of unrighteousnesse or ruine our selves and ours without remedy and for those places the labourer is worthy of his hire c. they shew what ought to be and not what alwayes is for another Scripture sayes woe to them that detaine the Labourers hire so indeed we ought to have out appointed pay or else how can we be content with our wages yet for all this we have no warrant to follow any unlawfull wayes forbidden and accursed by God as is proved before Grant I doe not as I say the truth remaines truth and if I dare doe otherwise the same will turne to my greater condemnation knowing and saying so much as I doe and this is that above all I abhor and condemn in the discourses of others concerning these things that because they doe not as they ought they dare justifie what they do yea some dare say they hold it no sin to do so and they do it will do it Oh horrible presumption it is too much we doe ill would God we were sensible thereof and we would not so plead therefore but to justisie our selves therein as if we not onely faultlesse but did well is too too bad oh if we doe no more let us at least give God his glory thus farre as to acknowledge we doe amisse doing so fouly amisse Take this in good part in some part of answer to these Objections which I vvish with my soule may satisfie others as they doe me To conclude I freely friendly and faithfully give this counsell in this case Take this as an infallible ground there is no circumstance whatsoever can make an unlawfull thing lawfull That the worst of suffering is to be chosen before the best of sinne That it is better to live in misery then in iniquity That in the day of visitation and at the houre of death which sooner or later will come upon every one of us these courses cannot any whit comfort but if we dye not stupid impenitent Beasts will torment us That God hath no need of our sinnes to serve his providence towards us That this our prophanenesse and distrust hinders his help and blessing from us That the right way is the best way procuring inward contentment boldnesse before the strictest authority a good repute freedome from the base accusations of vile persons all which our crooked wayes mislead us from proove the Lord by trusting him in wel-doing rather then thou shalt want convenient help he will work wonders for thee Mal. 3.10 and will doe more for us then we can lose thereby 2 Chron. 25.9 Let us with all due respect seeke to authority for redresse joyntly Let us be humbled for what is amisse hitherto confesse crave pardon for resolve to forsake labor against pray for strength to overcome our forepast evils in this kind and that unfainedly and constantly and beseech God to work upon the heart of authority and that we may preferre the generall good of Gods cause before our private profit seriously and we shall find a remarkable change and all shall goe well for Piety hath the promise undoubtedly 1 Tim. 4.8 And here I end this matter Somewhat concerning generall Obedience not to be neglected IT is written Acts 24.16 herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a good conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards men Ps 119. then shall I not be asnamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements and ver 101. I have refrained my feet from every evill way Out of which O my soule observe these few yet needfull and profitable Lessons 1 THat though thou doest many good things and yet dispensest with thy selfe in the omitting or evill performing any one duty required it will not serve the turne 2 Though thou forsakest many sinnes if thou givest thy selfe liberty to live in any one thou deceivest thy selfe and it will not availe thee 3 Learne hereby to make strict conscience every thing required even in the smallest