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
by publick slander Which saith Solomon He that uttereth a slander is a fool Prov. 10.18 It was one of the abominable sins of Jerusalem Ezek 22.9 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour and trust ye not in any Brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every Neighbour will walk with slanders Jer. 9.4 Chap. 7.6 Micah 7.6 4ly This Sin may be committed by reporting of false Reports of thy Neighbour Thou shalt not receive a false report Exod. 23.1 Keep thee far from false matter Levit. 23.7 I heard the defaming of many fear on every side report say they and we will report it All my Familiars watched for my halting saying peradventure he will be enticed and we shall prevail against him and we shall take our revenge on him Jer. 20.10 5ly This Commandment may be broken by evil speaking In the latter days some shall depart from the Faith speaking lies in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Wandring from house to house Tatlers also and busiebodys speaking things that they ought not 1 Tim. 5.13 Keep thy Tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile Psal 34.13 Let Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamour and Evil-speaking be put away from you with all Malice Ephes 3.1 Wherefore laying aside all Malice and all Guile and Hypocrisie and Envies and all Evil-speakings 1 Pet. 2.1 6ly This Sin may be committed by false Accusations This is one of the six things that the Lord hates Prov. 19.6 A false witness shall perish Prov. 21.28 Not false Accusers Tit. 2.3 as Job's Friends in whose Answers there remaineth Falshood Job 4.34 7ly This Commandment may be broken by whispering Saith David All that hate me whisper together against me Psal 41.7 A froward man soweth strife and a whisperer separateth chief friends Prov. 16.28 The words of a whisperer are as wounds and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly Prov. 18.7 It is a right character of a wicked-man Rom. 1.29 But where no whisper is the strife ceaseth Prov. 26.20 8ly You may transgress by Back-biting This sin is so common a fault that it is hardly minded that many have committed this sin by speaking that which is true behind mens backs when Truth is spoken to gain favour or out of envy as the Ziphites 1 Sam. 23.19 And Doeg against David 1 Sam. 22.9 Or as the Men that accused Daniel Dan. 6.13 Neither Truth nor Falshood ought to be spoken behind a mans back if it tend to the hurt or damage of his Good Name slandering of his person or prejudicing of his Estate or Calling but all such speaking ought to be with sparingness vigilancy great care and true love 1 Cor. 16.14 9ly It may be broken by Scoffing and Jearing Many a bad man will deliver a false Testimony against another in this evil manner though manner and matter are largely forbid in Scripture Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth Ephes 4.29 Col. 3.8 For evil communication corrupts good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay Mat. 5.37 Be ye not mockers Isa 28.22 nor Scoffers 2 Pet. 3.3 nor do not use filthiness foolish talking nor jesting Ephes 5.4 of this sort of people David greatly complains Psal 22.7 8. and Jeremiah that he was a derision daily Jer. 20.7.8 Every one mocked him and he became the subject of their song Lam. 3.14 A good man sitteth not in the seat of the scornful Psal 1.1 but his conversation is such as becometh the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1.27 10ly This Commandment is broken by Perjury Ye shall not swear falsly Levit. 19.12 I saith the Lord will be a swift witness against false Swearers Mal. 3.5 Every one that sweareth falsly shall be cut off Zach. 5.3 4. If any one make a covenant or vow and break the same himself 2 Chron. 36.13 Or as Samson did by shewing Dalilah where his great strength lay by it he broke his vow of a Nazarite Numb 6.5 Know this that breaking of Vows and Covenants the Scripture calls false swearing Hosea 10.4 Ezek. 17.15 16. And by perjury our Lives are not safe but always in jeopardy our Liberties are enfringed and always in danger our Estates are not our own being always subject to the malice of perjured Persons besides it is a grand abuse and great affront to the dignity of the Name of the most high it roots out all moral duty in them that use it it undermines the Christian Religion it greatly abuseth the Magistrate and condemneth justice and mercy and taketh away all security from all persons and by it they renounce the divine omnipotency and bring themselves under an high degree of Atheism and the Sentence of Eternal Punishment Mal. 3.5 Prov. 6.19 Chap. 19.5 Chap. 21.28 11ly It may be broken by passing of rash and false judgment Mat. 7.1 We ought to enquire into all the Circumstances of a matter before we pass Sentence Deut. 1.16 and then to be very sparing without prejudice Prov. 27.4 or slander Psal 101.5 Jer. 9.4 12ly It may be broken by false Letters forged Jer. 25.25 29. by scandalous books or infamous Libels or false Records Ezra 4.19 13ly This Command may be broken by Tatlers which walk about with Tales Levit. 19.16 1 Tim. 5.13 Prov. 11.19 Chap. 18.8 Chap. 20.19 Chap. 26.22 Ezek. 22.9 14ly It may be broken by those who make it their business privately to abuse men without a cause Him that privately slandereth his Nieghbour him will I cut off Psal 101.5 15ly This Commandment may be broken by misconstruing of mens words and giving forth another meaning than they intended when they spoke them Job 23.3 Tenthly Thou shalt not covet c. The Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whence Covetousness is derived signifieth 1st Solent homines avari He or she that is accustomed to be greedy 2ly Defraudavit He that taketh away the profit of another by guile 3ly Complevit He that filleth up his Desires to the top 4ly Scalpo To scratch scrape to rake together 5ly Saucio To hurt or wound They that are covetuous do not only hurt and wound others whose goods and lives they take away but they pierce themselves through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 16.10 The Covetous Man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 16.14 Amator pecuniae one that loveth Money Which is the reot of all evil This Commandment forbids the least motion of the heart in consenting to desire after the least thing that is our Neighbours without his free consent as not to ask nor desire any thing that is not properly ours is it not out of Covetousness that the Riotous and Prodigals get what they car and how and study how to bestow all on their concupiscible lusts and the Usurer extorteth great excessive interest of the poor by its instigations the Adulterer brayeth after his Neighbours Wife and the Landlord raketh his poor industrious Tennant by it Neighbours trespass one another and go to law in hopes
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.