plainly holds forth the duty of Christians in their whole life is uncontravertedâ— clear from the Scriptures and all Debates 〈◊〉 religious matters that have not the alone prospect of bettering and advancing of Knowledge are certainly not allowable And as your heartâ— all times ought to be over-filled with true love 〈◊〉 God and such as bears his Image so especially be respective to the Ministers of the Gospel being Ambassadors for Christ and Administrator of the Ordinances appointed by him in the Neâ—â— Testament as the Apostle enjoyns 1 Thes 5 1â—â— I beseech you brethren mark them which labour amongst you and are over you in the Lord and adminish you and esteem them very highly in Love for the works sake And let not the infirmities of any 〈◊〉 them procure in your heart any disrespect to thâ—â— holy Calling But mind what the same Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.7 That we have this Treasure in earth en Vessels that the exeellency of the power may be 〈◊〉 God and not of us 13. As you are to have a Pity and Love eveâ— towards such as altogether wants Religion 〈◊〉 worships God not truly as he hath appointed 〈◊〉 his Word so ye would altogether avoid the least of Animosity with such as with Charity 〈◊〉 may judge differs only anent Church-government or any thing else not inconsistent with the salvation of their Souls not doubting but ye will sinâ— at the day of Judgment that the many Niceitieâ— which a great part do but too much concern themselves in are the effects of want of Charit and a gospel Frame and disposition of heart 14. The wickedness of our hearts is such as doth altogether unfit for the doing of Duty Have we any prosperity in the enjoyment of health or any thing desireable in the world we are seldom or never in a frame for rightly acknowledging God for his Mercies and improving them to the end of our having thereof And if Providence tryst our being crossed in what is delightful to us how ready are we to dejection of mind and what does unfit for Duty let every Dispensation of God to you-ward lead you to the consideration of failings in your bypast life and stir you up to a suitable walk under what you are trysted with Endeavour an equality of Temper in all your ways if Dispensations any ways prosperous be your Lot consider you have them from God and humbly acknowledge his Mercy in what ever you meet with and if what is more cross befal you repine not thereat but mind that the worst of Conditions is above your desert Seek of him with earnestness that you may truly learn his holy Will in all his Dispensations and in Prosperity or Adversity let all your care be to know what ye are called to as Duty and to endeavour with diligence the doing thereof even in things relating to this life then with chearful Submission leave the event of all your concerns to God who is wonderful in goodness to such as fear and trust in him 15. When the Lords day is come remember to keep it holy as God has expresly appointed in his 4th Command And in order thereto prepare your Heart for the Duties thereof before it approach for however a great many in this Age may contravert the Morality of that Precept for the due observation of the Sabbath yet may you be satisfied with what is fully held forth by I may say all the most serious and godly of Divines that it is from the Practise noâ— only of the Primitive Church being the mospure of Christians but even of the Appostles whâ— were immediately inspired of God and whose Example we are bound to follow And as the due Observance of the Sabbath under the Law was enjoyned under the certification of greâ—â— wrath from God as in Nehemiah 13. cap. v. 17. and 18. What evil is this that ye do and prophaâ—â— the Sabbath did not your Fathers thus and did 〈◊〉 our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this Câ—ty yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profanity the Sabbath So the Promises to the doing there of were great as in Isa 56.2 Blessed is the mâ—â— that doth this and the son of man that layeth holdâ—â— it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it Aâ—â— 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath and from doing thy pleasure on my holy day aâ—â— call the Sabbath of the Lord a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not finding thiâ—â— own pleasure nor speaking thine own words then shaâ—â— thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thâ—â— to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed the with the heretage of Jacob thy father for the mouâ—â— of the Lord hath spoken it Yea not only from History the judgments of God upon Sabbath-breakers are manifest but such as are of small Experience may evidently perceive the dreadful consequences thereof in the confession of almost all Malefactors that comes to publick Execution It is trâ—â— such as are pleased to have no respect to the dâ— Observation of the Sabbath and to object againâ— the obligation upon Christians for keeping it holy doth answer to that of its being so generally confessed by dying Penitents that the same flows but from their Education and its being inculcat in them to be so sinful but what answer will such I may say prophane Wretches give to this so palpable Evidence of God's displeasure with the profanation of that Day that He in his over-ruling Providence often permits notorious Breakers of the Sabbath to fall in such sins as even brings them to open and shameful Punishment in this World And albeit the ways of God's Providence are not to be fathomed and gross Sinners of every kind do's in things relating to this life Die without any appearing Marks of God's displeasure which may fully satisfie all rational Persons that there is a Judgment to come so the temporal Calamities sometimes trysting Sinners in this World are an Earnest of what shall be Dispensed at that dreadful Day to such and it may plainly appear to you that the Cavilling against the Obligations for keeping Holy the Sabbath of our Lord is of the Devil being that only such as want tenderness of Conscience and Love not to live in any thing according to the Rules of the Gospel do thus declare themselves whereas Persons whose hearts are God-ward however their Frailty may hinder the due performance of their Duty are ever ready to acknowledge their Obligation to the observation of that Day to be kept a Sabbath Holy to the Lord. Yea Sir Matthew Hale late L. Chief Justice of England whose Memory is Savoury to all good men that knew or heard of him in his Directions to his Children for keeping the Lords Day doth press it upon them for several Reasons and in one whereof he saith because I have found by long and sound Experience that the due observance of that
Day and of the Duties of it have been of singular comfort and advantage to me and I doubt not but it will prove so to you God Almighty is the Lord of our time and lends it to us and as it is but just we should consecrate this part of that time to Him so I have found by a strict and diligent Observation that the due Observation of the Duties of this Day hath ever had joined to it a Blessing upon the rest of my time and the Week that hath been so begun hath been blessed and prosperous to me and on the other side when I have been negligent of the Duties of the Day the rest of the Week hath been unsuccessful and unhappy to my own secular Employment so that I could easily make a◠estimat of my success in my own secular Employment the Week following by the manner of my passing this Day and this I do not write lightly and Inconsideratly but upon a long and sound Observation and Experience These being the words of that Grea◠Man are much to be considered he not only being of great Integrity but uncontrovertedly o◠a sound Judgment and great Knowledge almost in every thing 15. In the Evening of the day preceeding you would be more then ordinarly earnest with God that He may by his Grace fit you for 〈◊〉 suitable going about the Duties of the ensuin◠Sabbath And when it is come consider that as God did appoint in the Old Testament the Sacrifice to be doubled on that Day so he require◠of us Christians that we should therein double our Duties of Prayer Praise and Meditation◠and as at all times you are bound to remember the Church and People of God in your Prayers so especially in a Sabbath pray with earnestness that our Lord's Kingdom may be advanced throughout the world and that the Offers of Grace in his Gospel may be the Portion of the Land you live in Pray that God for Christs sake may send forth Ambassadors fitted for that Work and that he bless the Word and Ordinances where you are to be present in the discharge of the Duties of a Sabbath 16. Rise early that Morning and mind you are to spend the whole day in God's service When you repair to the place of Publick Worship do it so as you be there before any part of it begin and come not from the same whilest it be fully ended and in the time of Worship have your heart intent upon the Duties it is the heart especially that God requires and not only ought we to have presence of mind in hearing the Word preached but especially in Prayer and Praise for it is an intollerable contempt of God who searcheth the heart and knoweth the most secret of our Thoughts to draw near to Him in Worship and to have our hearts going out after any other Object whatsoever Yea it is a direct Saying practically that we are bruitish Fools and wretched Atheists in worshipping of God as knowing our Thoughts and doing it in that manner as evidences manifest contempt and directly draws down His Vengeance upon us 17. If the Sacrament of Baptism be administred where you are present you would not only with all your heart concur in the Petitions up to God before and after the Administration but hearken to your own Duty in what is held forth by the Minister and let such Occasions stir you up to new Resolutions to live up to your own Baptismal Engagements Mind that the whole Sabbath is to be a Mercat-day for your Soul and by dealing in the Duties thereof gain strength against the Corruptions of the ensuing part of your time 18. When occasion offers of your Communicating you are to consider that it is not indifferent to you to come or not to come to the Table of the Lord but that you are obliged to be serious in examining your self as to your Knowledge and your being otherwise fitted to partake of that Sacrament Instituted by our Saviour First in the remembrance of His Sufferings which were only able to expiate the Guilt of lost undone Sinners And next to be a Seal of Sinners Covenanting with God in Jesus Christ And 3dly to be a Mean of Communion with our merciful Lord that suffered for our Sins It is plain 1 Cor. 11.26 That the great end of the Sacrament is to hold forth to the Church the Lords Death and Suffering whilest he come again to Judgement And by the 27 28 and 29. Verses you see the absolute necessity for the worthy participating thereof You must search your heart and find out all your iniquity and hate it not only as it procures Gods Curse in this life and to all Eternity but especially as it is contrare to the Commandments and holy Nature of our God and as a needy Wretch having examined your heart and found out your Wants you are in coming to the Table of the Lord to bring with you some Faith some Love and some hope c. Your Errand being for more and cry with earnestness that you may be amongst the number of such of whom the Psalmist speaks Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy Power At such Occasions make conscience of mourning for every Sin and with all your heart magnifie Gods Mercy in his Dispensations to you and seek with earnestness of heart Grace enabling you to that and every duty and beg of God for Christs sake that he give a heart in a truly fitted frame So as in the Sacrament you may by the eye of Faith behold our lovely Lord and Saviour crucified and His Blood shed to expiate the Guilt of vile sinful Wretches and in particular to stand betwixt your self a vile sinful Wretch and the Vengeance of God due to you in Justice Seek with all earnestness from God a heart filled with love to Christ our Lovely Saviour who so loved loft undone Sinners as He took upon him the nature of frail man and to satisfy Divine Justice which could not be otherways satisfied for the sins of all that would truly come to Him and by Faith rely upon Him He suffered the shameful Death of the Cross it Representation whereof is this Sacrament Institute by our Lord himself before His suffering And before and at the time of your drawing near to the Table of the Lord have your heart filled with suitable Meditations and ejaculatory Petitions to God as saying within your self O my Soul can'st thou behold Justifying Blood and not love Him that shed it for thee Canist thou behold Precious Quickening softening Bloods and not love Him that gave it to quicken and soften thy heart and to Redeem the from Sin from Hell and everlasting Wrath O my God and Saviour enable me to say if my love were better it should be thine but such as it is thou shalt have it make it greater and make it better and I firmly resolve in thy Strength it shall ever be set upon thee 19.
herein mentioned Consider what I have said to you upon it I do not intend ye should think it any ways full or Perfect my Capacitie not allowing me to pretend to any fitness for doing thereof and having but in some things given you my Opinion but if from your heart ye seek after God and depend upon him for Direction He will for Jesus sake give Knowledge and what else will be necessar for you And I intreat ye may consider this as the Advice of an affectionate Father that with his Heart and Soul wishes your eternal Wel-fare You are now at a distance from me and in a Society that makes me the more solicitous anent you for often do's Youth at Colledges instead of acquiring Learning and any thing desirable procure to themselves an habite of vitious Living and this sometimes happens to such as may be judged in probability would without the temptation be free thereof I intreat you beware of keeping such Company as may be a Snare to you and seriously ply your Book which is the end of your being in the place Be careful not only in giving a dutiful obedience to your Regent and the other Masters of the University but also of paying that due Reverence and Respect that is owing to their several Places be observant of their Orders not from fear but for Conscience sake and attend duely to the Diets appointed for your Class let your Converse where you lodge evidence your Discretion and Respect not only to the Head of the Family but to your Comrads and all within it and be sure you be not absent from Family-exercise nor from your Chamber at late or unseasonable hours Mind my Directions to you anent the Sabbath and beware of spending any part thereof in idle Converse forbear in that day your being in the Streets except when you go and come from the Church and attend the Diets of your Class before and after Sermon but above all make Conscience of seeking with earnestness of heart that our God for Jesuâ—â— sake may keep you from all evil let it be you great Work to grow in greater nearness to God for surely the World is Vanity and every thin we so much pursue after will appear to us wheâ—â— Death is at our door as the height of Vanity and most contemptible Think often of thâ—â— certainty of Death and that to the healthiest 〈◊〉 Youth it may come in a Moment mind thâ—â— also certainly after Death will come Judgment where even the most secret of our sinful thought shall be laid open before the Tribunal of a Juâ—â—â— God and a most dreadful and horrible Sentence pronounced against all such as shall 〈◊〉 be found in Christ our Blessed Lord who 〈◊〉 only able to stand betwixt Sinners and the Stroke due to them in Justice It is most lamentable that the Generality even of such as profess to be Christians are either truly Atheistical and among the number of such Fools as in Psal 14.1 Says in their heart there is not a God Or they vainly pretend an Interest where they have no Title the Apostle in Heb. 12.14 Having expresly said that without Holiness it is impossible to see the face of God It is true all that possibly wretched man can perform do's little deserve to be call'd Holiness but our hearty endeavour after Duties a serious continued sense of our Failings our hearts mourning because thereof and our humble coming to and relying upon Christ our Saviour in Faith for Mercy is graciously accepted of by our infinitely Good and Merciful God Ye would consider how our corrupt hearts agreeing with the general Practice and Belief of almost all owning themselves to be Christians seeks to perswade us to an Indifferency and Unconcern'dness in our Souls well-being and would make us believe that the punctual performing of Duty as Christians is but an over-doing if not Hypocrisy and every Person is ready to befool themselves with a groundless Confidence that they will be saved where they are little concerned in the Salvation of their Souls or the means of attaining to it wherefore think ye often with seriousness upon what is said Mat. 7.13 Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it This â—aying ought to be much in your mind for stirring you up to Duty lest you be found to be amongst the great number that goes in the Broad-way to everlasting and dreadful Damnation for in any worldly Concern if to a Society of Persons were offered that a few number of them upon doing of some Duty required should undoubtedly have Riches and worldly Honour every one without Arguments inducing them to it would be earnest in doing what might include them in that Number and what unspeakable Degrees are poor â—inners more concerned to endeavour with all their Power the giving Obedience to the Gracious Commands of our God that we may enter in at the Strait Gate leading into that everlasting Blessed Life I have already something signified to you the excellency of Humility it is truly most desirable and without which a Sinner hath not any Ground to expect access to God for as Pride in ordinar Converse and in worldly Affairs is hateful so in what relates to our Duty as Christians any tincture of Conceit and Pride is utterly to be abominat as being a principal Engine of the Devil for the destruction of the Souls of Mankind and that Excelling Grace of true Humility is the great Ornament of a Christian as Pride is the undoubted Marâ— of corrupt Natures prevailing yea so great 〈◊〉 the excellency of Humility as it may be saiâ— without Hyperbole that our infinitely Merciful God will not yea such is His free Mercy cannot refuse the Acceptance of a sincerely humbled Sinner it is indeed much to be prized and most advantagious and it necessarly must be where there is a true sense of our miserable Condition I do again intreat your being frequent and serious in your Prayers to God from whom every thing must come to you and let every one of your Thoughts and Actions speak forth your being truly humble in the sight of God and Man The Apostle Peter in Cap. 5. vers 15. of his First Epistle desires ye may be cleathed with Humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the Humble Let all your Actions flow from a true Principal of love to God and sincerely designing His Glory Often is Duty gone about when the motive to the doing thereof is sinful Self which is our very great Enemy for it wickedly leads and forces us to every evil Thought and Action therefore strive with all your might that no selfish sinful Inclination prevail over you and that the Principle moving you may be truly love to God and the end