8.26 7ly Stinted Forms keeps Persons in a lame stupid dead and lukewarm posture so long as they do continue in the use of it they are neither hot nor cold Revel 3.15 16. What the Fruits and Benefits that forms do conduce I leave it to those that have received it if any have to declare but this is certain that the Letter kills but it is the Spirit that giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 John 3.63 8ly By spiritual Prayer we have access unto the Throne of Grace Ephes 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 1st Accessus 2ly Manuductionem A drawing near by leading by the hand to God as Persons are led or conducted into Kings Courts but I do not find any promise in all the Holy Scriptures that any shall have access to God by reading or saying over of stinted forms of Prayer 9ly There are many good Presidents in Scripture that the faithful in all ages have poured out their Souls to the Lord omnipotent in Spiritual Prayer It is said Isaac went out into the field to meditate Gen. 24.63 The Margin reads it to pray agreeing with Ainsworth in loc David poured out his soul to the Lord Psal 142.1 to 7. Jehoshephat was fervent in this duty 2 Chron. 20.12 Hezekiah prayed against Senacherib's Blasphemy 2 Kings 19.15 It will be too tedious to set forth one quarter of the instances of this kind Take St. Paul for your Example who saith He will pray with his Spirit and with his understanding also 1 Cor. 14.15 Epaphras is said to be fervent in this duty Col. 4.12 10ly Spiritual Prayer is commanded Praying always with all prayers and supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and suplication let your request be made known to God Phil. 4.6 I will that men pray every where 1 Tim. 2.8 Pray for them that despitefully use you Mat. 5.44 Luke 6.28 Pray ye the Lord of the Harvest Mat. 9.38 Pray one for another James 5.16 If ye sow to the spirit ye shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6.8 34 Direction is Be often minding of them that they let the love of God in Christ be the principal Motive upon their Hearts to perswade them to love God above all to uphold them from being dashed in pieces upon that rock of Despair about Personal Election and Reprobation Know for certain that as all were brought into a state of Condemnation by the first Adam's Sin so all that believe are in a state of justification by the death of Christ Rom. 5.18 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved John 3.16 17. There is Salvation open to every Soul that believeth the Lord hath taken such care for every mans Salvation 1st That he hath commanded the Gospel to be Preached to every Creature Mark 16.15 16 2dly That Prayers and Supplications be made for all men 1 Tim. 2.1 to 6. 3dly The Lord would have all men come to the Knowledge of the Truth that they might be Saved 1 Tim. 2.4 as touching those that are Elected they are Elected thro' the Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 to believe on Christ is the first step to enjoy the promise of Eternal Salvation Heb. 3.9 Revel 22.14 Heb. 10.36 Jam. 1.25 2dly True Faith is the spring of true love to God in Christ which is also the true and only ground of our Obedience Rom. 6.17 18. 3dly A right Knowledge of Gods love in justification by his Son is the chief ground of our love to God 1 John 4.19 4thly True Faith is that hand whereby we receive Christ and Christ's Righteousness is the matter or material Cause of our Justification as Gods Imputation of it to us is the formal Cause and Faith I think I may say without any blame may be said to be the Instrumental Cause thereof but no procuring Cause or meriting Condition of our Justification for Faith is in the Covenant of Grace as it is the Gift of God and therefore not a procuring Condition of it Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 Rom. 5.1 Gal. 3.24 5thly Preaching the Gospel thro' the working of Gods Spirit is the cause of Faith Rom. 10.17 6thly The love of God in Christs Death and Resurrection is the ground and cause of the Gospels being Preached 1 Cor. 15.1 to 23. 7thly The love of God to those he gave to Christ is the only ground and cause why he sent his Son to dye John 3.16 17. Heb. 2.9 So on the other hand Sin is the cause that any are reprobated it is for the Sin of their Nature which they love and for Unbelief Rom. 11.23 all which remains they do not will not hear the Word so as to set their hearts to ponder on the same their understandings are blinded their wills rebellious their affections are carnal their hearts are immoderately set upon Earthly things If any man loveth the World the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2.15 Because they believe not the Word of Life they remain in a state of Condemnation the Scripture holds forth that mans Destruction is of himself Mat. 23.37 Hosea 13.9 35 Direction is Teach your Children to avoid the Seeing Hearing Receiving doing or Allowing of those things that are directly prohibited or forbid in Scripture First You must Teach them the Ten Commandments recorded in Exod. 20. Deut. 5. the Lord by these Precepts hath prohibited all from gross and capital Sins to teach men Morrality and Divine Adoration and Invocation having called him from all Corruption unto the integrity he first Created him in And therefore 1st Man is denied to have any other object of Divine Adoration beside his Creator 2dly Man must not have the least shew of any kind of Worship in Expression Gesture or Habit not so much as in affections too nor towards any Image or the likeness of any Creature Made Ingraven or Portraied of any Mass or resemblance whatsoever no not so much as to go into the place where an Idol is nor to eat of the Meat that has been offered to an Idol Acts 15.20.29 Chap. 21.25 keep your selves from Idols 1 John 5.21 Flee from Idolatry 1 Cor. 10.14 Levit. 19.4 Any thing that is set up in our Hearts and extolled above our Maker which we take all care possible to please our selves in to admire and set our Chief Love upon that we give more Service Love and Adoration too then is properly due to a meer Creature is by us made an Idol and though it be no God yet we make it a God unto our selves Fourteen several ways Men may make to themselves Gods and Serve Love and Adore them more then they do their Creator And 1st some make their Bellys their God they lay up all
into the presence of the King whether they were covered or not but in that time they did Obeisance one to another is evident Dan. 2.46 6.21 8.17 2ly It does not appear that they came into the Kings presence covered for that which is expressed is a forced thing they were bound in their Coats their Hosen and their Hats Their Coats were Mantles or short kind of Cloaks to keep off the Sun and let in the Air to their Bodies their Hosen were Slops or long loose breeches their Hats were Turbants not one jot like our Hats they were made of Linnen like a Sash its use was to tie about their head in bad weather in wind and cold to spread and cover all parts of the body it being as large as a winding sheet it being tied about their waste it served for a Girdle Neither will Christ's words excuse these Men which saith How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another John 5.44 There is a vast distance between Humility and Arrogancy we ought not to be so arrogant as to love and delight in the honour and praise of men John 12.43 But we ought to be so humble as to render to all persons due honour and respect 1 Pet. 2.17 Let each esteeem others better than themselves Phil. 2.3 Also you must be careful to pay to every one their just due they are wicked which borrow and pay not again Psal 37.21 Christ allows the paying of Tribute Mat. 22.21 pays tribute himself and works a Miracle to do it Mat. 17 to 27. 38 Direction is Teach your Children to avoid shun and oppose that general received and overspreading sinful Doctrine or Dogmatical Sentiment viz. That Justification is by Works as tho' the sprinkling of a little Water in a Childs Face in the Name of the Deity did make an unregenerate Sinner a true Convert and bring it into a state of justification which work so acted and done I could never find nor yet be informed by any that Christ or his Apostles did ever leave any Precept or President for the so doing and therefore it is an Innovation of Men and largely forbidden in the Scriptures Mat. 15.9 Col. 2.21 22. Josh 1.7 Deut. 12.32 Jer. 7.31 Deut. 4.2 Jer. 19.5 Prov. 30.6 Revel 22.18 19. Secondly Is not the blessing in those that were Excommunicated for Trifles I do not find in Scripture that any ought to be Excommunicated but for Impenitency in notorious and criminal Facts Mat. 18.17 2 Thes 3.14 1 Cor. 5.5 9.13 1 Tim. 1.19 20. Let me add here a word or two concerning Justification The real causes of Justification are these 1st The efficient cause is God's free grace Rom. 3.24 2ly The meritorious cause is the Blood of Christ Rom. 5.9 3ly The material cause is Christ's active and passive obedience Rom. 5.19 4ly The formal cause is the imputation of Christ's righteousness Rom. 4.6 5ly The instrumental cause by which it is applied is Faith Rom. 5.1 6ly The final cause is 1st The glory of God Rom. 5.2 And 2ly Mans Salvation Ephes 1.11 but where good works have any place as a cause of justification I find not for they do certainly flow from Faith and are the fruits and effects of true Faith 1st What is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14.23 2ly Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 3ly Man is united to Christ by Faith and by it its fruits appears Col. 1.4 6. 4ly As Men cannot gather grapes of thorns or figgs of thistles Mat. 7.16 So those works cannot be good that do not spring from a good root viz. True Faith and Union with Christ 39 Direction is When your Children are come to years you ought to take care of their being disposed in Marriage and that in that seasonable and due time as you find their natural inclinations prompt them to and require it 1st See and know that they have Natural Love to them that you would marry them to If Love be wanting on either side they are betrayed into a multitude of evils which all the Gold of Ophir cannot repair also see that they choose such as are equal to their degree and quality if they are too high above them they will be apt to slight them if below them to discredit them if too old the love of youth from such is apt to vanish also choose such if possible that truly fear the Lord Vertue Piety and Honesty are far better than all the Carriage Breeding Beauty and Riches in this World Favour is deceitful and Beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Prov. 31.30 40 Direction is You that have Estates as there is few but have little or much let me advise and direct you to settle your Estates in good time as it is too late to repent when the door of mercy is shut so many times it is too late to settle your Estates when you come to a dying bed you will have enough to do then to go through that painful Task more especially if you have not made your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Good Hezekiah was ordered to set his house in order Isa 38.1 Abraham settled his Estate Gen. 25.5 6. The exactest rule that I do find in all the Scripture to this put pose is that in Deut. 21.17 Where the Lord saith The eldest shall have a double portion that is If a Man have five Children he shall divide his Estate into six equal parts and the eldest Son shall have two parts and the other four shall have each one his equal part how or when this Law was abrogated Ido not find I leave it in all these forty Rules to you to make the best use of the whole in your daily practice as you will answer it in the great day of account And now I come to the 2d Doct. Which I intend to be very brief in which is That if Parents have real affections for their Children they will use the best means possible to keep them from sin they will not provoke them to it This Subject is enough to fill a whole Volume 1st To shew you how many ways people may sin And 2ly To set forth who they are that the Scripture calls Sinners 3ly To discover the nature of sin 4ly To let you understand the danger of sin 5ly To discover the Remedies as Helps against sin 6ly To let you know the fruits and effects of sin 7ly To pen down the Scripture-Marks to know a sinner by 8ly To shew the degrees of sin 9ly To shew how the Lord does many times punish for sin in this life as well as in the life to come 10ly To mind you of the benefit that does ensue by avoiding of sin But I must leave these things to be amplified in your daily Meditation as you read the Scriptures of Truth and in short give you a reason or two to prove that Parents love is manifest by keeping their Children from sin Reason 1.
each other in Election and three in Reprobation 〈◊〉 ten Commandments how they are broken Seven causes how justification is wrought 2d Doct. by two reasons and the 3d. by five proved 4th Doctrine proved by thirteen Reasons Forty Rules to direct Children in their duty The twelve Articles of the Nicene Creed proved Four principal Motives to move all to their duty The Conclusion with the fifth Doctrine THE Father's Spectacles c. EPHES. VI. 4. And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. THe Holy Apostle writing to those that were Gentiles by nature knowing that they were naturally subject to may failings might violate natures bounds by being induced by corrupt nature to sin which they were formerly dead in he exhorts them to general rules of Christianity as Humility Long-suffering Unity Peace and Holiness of Life First In Mortification by putting off Lying Anger Malice and corrupt Communication and the like Secondly By having no Society with Evil Company but to live in Brotherly Love and to be diligent in their callings and to submit themselves one to another as also to know all their duties as they stand related one to the other which he discourseth at large And then he setteth forth very excellently the great and wonderful work of their Redemption by Jesus Christ Also he shews them their undone state by Nature without a Christ and that Humility and true Faith is the true way of attaining true Peace And that the right way of retaining of it is by perseverance First To search into and to know the love of Christ Chap. 3.19 Secondly To keep in unity and to walk worthy of that Vocation in which they were called Chap. 4.1 to 6. Thirdly To be firm and stedfast Chap. 4.14 Fourthly To let their Conversation be suitable to their profession Chap. 4 22 to 29. Fifthly To put on the whole Armour of God not to flinch or draw back for there is never a Backpiece See Chap. 6.11 to 18. Sixthly The Duties of Honour Respect Service Obedience to Superiors and Familiarity and true Love to each other partâ—cularly that so their Christian work may be throughly accomplished Lastly It appears that the many failings and neglects of duties in the last age foreseen by the Apostle occasions him to write thus unto this Church c. And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The Words being thus read here is First The Person speaking Paul Secondly The Persons spoken to Fathers Leigh in his Critica Sacra saith is of a large extent than the Male kind it properly setteth forth natural Parents implying as well Mothers as Fathers as the usual method of the Spirit is to include both Sex in one Expression Gen. 5.2 1 Cor. 11.28 Thirdly The Duty enforced by a positive Command negatively expressed Provoke not c. Fourthly Here are the Persons not to be provoked viz. Children Such as are under the care and tution of Parents This Negative Precept may possibly extend it self so high as Kings to their Subjects 2 Kings 5.13 1 Chron. 28.2 Isa 22.21 Judges 5.7 17 10 11. And also to Judges and Magistrates to those that cry to them for Right Equity and Justice Deut. 20.5 to 11. Numb 11. 17 18. And to Executors Trustees and Governors of Orphans to Officers in Towns Liberties and Cities In a word to all that are in Authority to teach instruct rule and govern any persons whatsoever Heb. 13.17 Fifthly Here is the true nature of the defined subsequent or that inveterate exasperated passion that is prohibited set forth viz. Wrath. Sixthly Here is an absolute Direction 1st To educate them in good discipline as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 2dly To instruct them in divine knowledge Thus much by way of Explication I now come to the Doctrinal conclusions that do naturally arise from this Text Which are these which follow 1 Doct. That Parents should take all care possible to avoid all Occasions of Provocations as not to give any just Offence whereby their Children are exasperated or so far provoked as to offend the Lord or disobey their Parents 2 Doct. That if Parents have real affections for their children they will use the best means possible to keep them from sin 3 Doct. They that are true Christians indeed have such tender love to their Childrens Souls that they will use all means possible to nurture them up in the right way of the Lord. 4 Doct. That Children ought to yield obedience to all their Parents Commands in the Lord with holy Reverence Honour and Zeal 5 Doct. That the Lord doth take great care for the eternal good of those that cannot any ways take care for themselves But to the first Doctrine That Parents should avoid all occasions of Provocations c. First Here I shall shew you what may be properly called Provocations that so Parents may take them out of the way that they do not cause their Children to stumble fall and be broken to pieces Which are these sixteen as followeth First When Parents will not teach and instruct their Children and slight and abuse them if they do not learn This is a hard Lesson if the Lord should deal so with the Sons of Men who of them but would fall immediately into the gulf of Despair among all the Children of men can we expect to reap where we never sowed If I had not known such a thing as this to be I could hardly have conceived that ever any should be so very austere and unnatural or ever had been to the fruit of their own bowels The wise man's Counsel to Fathers is Prov. 23.12 Apply thine heart to instruction it should be part of thy every days meditation to consider how thou shouldest instruct teach and train up thy Child in all things uppertaining to this Life and that which is to come Train up a Child saith Solomon in the way he should go Prov. 22.6 which is rightly done by mild and gentle instructions and not by causeless slighting Reflections A Second Provocation is when Parents shall never give their Children a good Word nor a good Look though the Child do whatever it possibly can to please them if the Lord should always frown upon thee and ever speak to thee with an angry Countenance and Words how couldest thou be able to stand before him consider it is a mild carriage and loving speech that doth win the heart It was St. Paul's way 1 Thes 2.7 't was by gentle words and carriage that Abigal overcome David though he was in great wrath 1 Sam. 25.24 Love is a special winning grace 1 Cor. 13.5 It doth not behave it self unseemly soft words will stop sin in its course Prov. 15.1 Mild Speeches become good Men My Son faith Abraham God will provide c. Read Isaac's manner of Speech to his Sons Gen. 27. Chap. 28.1 When