Yes Petition for others as well as our selves Should we neglect to pray for others as well as our selves No. Should we not pray for Parents Children Husband Wife Friends and Benefactors and the like Yes Should we forget to thank God for all his Mercies when we pray to him No. Thanksgiving Publick and private Prayer Should not a good Christian pray to God publickly in the Church and in the Family and privately by himself alone Yes Can he do it seldomer than Morning and Evening No. Frequency in it Should not those that have leisure do very well to pray oftner Yes Advantages of it Is it not an Honour a blessed and a Pleasant thing that we can pray to God and beg Mercies of him Yes How to pray May we ever ask of God any thing unlawful No. When we pray must we not pray faithfully and humbly and earnestly and mind what we are about Yes May we think upon other things when we are praying to God No. He that would pray rightly should he not cleanse his heart from all affections to sin Yes Should we not kneel when we pray whether at Church or at Home Yes Of Repentance Is not Repentance a turning from Sin to God Yes Should we not daily repent of our sins Yes May we put it off to our Death-bed No. Is it not a most desperate and dangerous Madness to do so Yes Times for it Besides our daily Repentance should we not set apart some times solemnly to humble our selves before God for sin Yes Should we not do well sometimes to keep a fasting day or to miss a meal and spend that time in humbling our selves before God for our sins Yes Is not the afflicting our selves or the revenging our selves for sin by fasting acceptable to God Yes Can such revenge upon our selves for sin satisfie for our Offences No. Is there any thing but the Blood of Christ that can make Satisfaction for our Offences No. But shall that Blood be applied to any but Penitent sinners No. Branches of it or steps to it Are not these then the steps to Repentance The confessing our sins in Prayer to God the sorrowing for them resolutions of forsaking them and of a new obedience Yes Should not a good man set apart these times for fasting or missing a meal Fasting and caling himself to an account for his sins and returning to God by Repentance as often as he may conveniently Yes Would it not be a happy course if we did it once a week or once a month Yes May a Christian give divine Worship to a Saint or Angel or to any Image No. Is it not Idolatry to do so Yes Idolatry Is it not an Idolatry to love or fear or trust in any thing more than God Yes Sunday VI. To our Selves OUght not a Christian to be humble Yes Humility Is not Humility to have a mean and low opinion of our selves and to be content that others should have so too Yes Does God love the Proud Man No. Pride Is not Pride then a very dangerous sin Yes May a man be proud of Beauty Strength Wit or Grace No. Should we not watch against the beginnings of Pride in the Heart and pray against it Yes Should a Christian hunt after the praise of Men No. Should he not be content to be without it and labour only for the Praise of God Yes Is it not a sinful and dangerous thing Vain-glory. to thirst after the praise of Men Yes Will a good Action be accepted if it be done out of vain-glory No. Whenever we do a good Action should we not seek the praise of God and not the praise of Men Yes Of Meekness Is not Meekness a Christian Duty Yes Is not Meekness a calmness and quietness of Spirit so as not to be apt to be wrathful angry and enraged Yes Will not this Duty liken us to Christ Yes Should not a Christian be of a meek and quiet Spirit toward God and Man toward Superiors Equals Inferiours Friends and Enemies Yes Should a Christian be ever causelesly or immoderately angry with any Man No. May a Christian in his Anger call Names as Rogue Rascal Fool or the like No. Should not a Christian labour to prevent and suppress the first beginnings of Rage and Wrath and Anger Yes Would it not be a good way to do it to shut up the lips Yes Seeing Meekness will so liken us to Christ should we not labour for it and pray for it Yes Is not Consideration a Christian Vertue Yes Consideration Is not the want of Consideration the cause of most of our Sins Yes Should we not often consider the state of our Soul how it stands toward God Of our state or whether we have reason to hope it is in God's Favour Yes Is he in God's Favour that continues in any one willful sin No. And if he die in it can he hope for Mercy at his Hands No. Is not the neglect of Consideration a dangerous things Yes Should we not before we do any action consider whether it be lawful or not Yes Of our Actions When upon consideration we find any action done to be unlawful should we not instantly repent of and amend it Yes Would it not be a good course every night to try and examine the actions of the day past Yes And if any of them were Evil to beg God's Pardon and resolve instantly upon amendment Yes Sunday VII IS not contentedness a Christian Duty Yes Contentedness Should a Christian be pleased with that Condition that God has placed him in Yes May he murmur or repine at it No. May a Christian be a covetous Person No. Is contentedness a good remedy against Covetousness Yes Is not Covetousness the setting our Heart upon Wealth Covetousness or the consenting to any desires of getting or keeping it by any unlawful means Yes May a Christian omit any Duty or commit any Sin to get Wealth No. Can he that is covetous ever perform his Duties either to God himself or Neighbour No. Should not a Christian strive for the vertue of Contentedness and pray for it Yes Is not Diligence a Christian Vertue Yes Should not a Christian diligently watch against all Sin Yes Diligence Watchfulness and Industry Should he not watch most narrowly against that Sin to which he is most inclined Yes And must he not labour to avoid all occasions of it Yes Should we not diligently husband and imploy all the gifts of the Soul so as may bring in most glory to God Yes May we imploy any of them in the Devil's Service or the Service of Sin No. Must we not diligently imploy and use the talent of Grace which God has given us Yes If we do imploy and husband it faithfully will God give us more Yes If we do not imploy and husband what we have will God take it away Yes Must
not this Pontius Pilate a Governour of the Country where Christ lived when he was on Earth Yes Was there any Sin or Fault in Christ No. Was he not accused by the Jews out of meer Malice Yes Was he not crucified that is nailed to a Cross till he was dead Yes That is were not his Hands and Feet nailed to a piece of Wood till he died Yes Was he content to suffer all this for our Salvation Yes Did not Christ by his Death satisfie God's Justice for our Sins if we repent of them and leave them Yes Shall any partake of the Benefits of Christ's Death but the true pernitent Sinner No. Before Christ was crucified was he not buffeted and spit on scourged and spightfully used Yes Did Christ give up the Ghost and really die upon the Cross Yes When he was dead was he not put into the grave and buried as other dead Men are Yes Did he not continue in the State of the dead for a time Yes When Christ descended into Hell did he suffer any Pains or Torments there No. Did he only descend to triumph over the Devil in his own Kingdom Yes Did he not suffer all this for our Sakes that we might be saved Yes And have we not infinite reason to love and obey him Yes ARTICLE V. The third day he rose again from the dead THough Christ were buried in the Grave does he continue in it to this Day No. Did not Christ come alive again the third day and rise out of the grave by his power Yes Did he not rise again out of it for our Justification Yes That is did he not by his coming out of the Prison of the grave shew that he had paid our debt that God's Justice was satisfied and he acquitted upon our Faith and Repentance Yes And can we ever cease to love and obey him No. ARTICLE VI. He ascended into Heaven And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty DID not Jesus Christ about forty days after he came alive again ascend up to Heaven Yes Was he not carried up to Heaven in a Cloud Yes Is not Jesus now at this present at God's right Hand making Intercession for us Yes You say at the right hand of God why Is not God a Spirit Yes Has a Spirit any hands as we have No. When we say that Christ sitteth at the right hand of God do we not mean that he is exalted to the greatest power and glory Yes Is he not there our Advocate to intercede and plead for us Yes And can we for this pay him less than Love and Obedience No. ARTICLE VII From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead DO you believe there shall be a Day of Judgment Yes Shall not Christ come in that day to judge the World and all Men Yes Shall any Man escape the Judgment of Christ No. Shall he not then turn the wicked into Hell Yes Shall he in that day of Judgment place all good Men in Heaven Yes And should we not prepare our selves for that Judgment Yes Must we not then give an account of what we have done here Yes Must we give an account of our Thoughts Words and Actions Yes Shall any Man be able to hide his Sins from this Judge No. Is there any thing that we do which this Judge sees not No. Is there any thing that we think which Judge hears not No. Is there any thing that we think which this Judge knows not No. What does he see and know our very Thoughts Yes But will he not be a merciful Judge to all truly reformed Penitents Yes And for that reason should you not love and obey him Yes ARTICLE VIII I believe in the holy Ghost DO you believe in the holy Ghost or Spirit Yes Is there any Difference between these words Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit No. Is not the Holy Ghost God Yes Doth not this good and Holy Spirit convert us sanctifie us and comfort us Yes Is not this good and Holy Spirit ready by his Grace to assist us in doing our Duties Yes Is he not said to be grieved when we do not make use of the Grace and Strength afforded us Yes And should we grieve this Holy Spirit by a careless and disobedient Life No. Is it not this holy Spirit that puts into your mind good Desires Yes And should we refuse or neglect to perform them No. ARTICLE IX The Holy Catholick Church The Communion of Saints DO you believe that the whole Company or general Family of true Believers professing the Gospel under Christ their head are the Catholick Church Yes Is not Catholick Church as much as to say Universal Church Yes Are not the preaching of the Word and the due Administration of the Sacraments under Bishops and Pastors lawfully called are not these the Marks of it Yes Is it not Catholick in respect of Persons and Place Time and Doctrine Yes Are all the Believers of this Catholick Church holy by their Calling and Profession Yes Should you ever cease to bless God for being a Member of this Catholick Church No. Were you received into this number of Believers when you were baptized Yes Do you firmly believe the particular Church of England to be a sound part of the Catholick Church Yes Of the Catholick Church is not part on Earth and part in Heaven Yes Is not that part of it which is on Earth called the Church Militant Yes And is not that part of it which is in Heaven called the Church Triumphant Yes Do you believe that there is and ought to be a Communion of Saints Yes Is not this Communion of Saints a Communion one with another in all holy things Yes That is to say are we not to keep a Communion one with another in Faith in Love in Charity in Prayer in hearing the Word and receiving the Sacraments Yes May we forsake or withdraw our selves from the Communion or Fellowship of Christians in holy things No. Do you believe that while the Saints or true Believers on Earth do keep up their Communion with each other in all holy things that they have a Fellowship or Communion with the Blessed Trinity the Angels and the Saints departed Yes ARTICLE X. The Forgiveness of Sins DO you believe there is Forgiveness of Sins to be had in the Church of Christ Yes Can this Forgiveness be had unless we believe in Jesus Christ and repent of them and reform them No. If we do believe in Christ and repent of our Sins and leave them and live a new and Christian life shall we be forgiven Yes Is not Repentance this A turning from Sin to God a lasting durable State of new Life and Reformation Yes If the Sinner then have chosen amiss should he not speedily turn to God and chuse better Yes Is he wise or safe if he neglect to do it one day No. ARTICLE XI The Resurrection of the Body DO you believe that the Bodies of them that
own State and Condition Yes May a Man envy or grieve at his Neighbour's Good or Prosperity No. Ought we not to be just towards others not only in our actions but in our very thoughts desires and intentions Yes Should we consent to any motions of the heart of contriving to get what 's our Neighbours by unjust or unlawful means No. Is discontentedness repining and murmuring forbidden to a Christian Yes Should a Christian with vexation or greediness or immoderately seek Riches Honours or Pleasures No. Did not your Godfathers and Godmothers promise for you that you should keep these Commandments Yes And will you labour to keep them that you may please God and be admitted to him when you die Yes Will you shew your Love by your Obedience Yes Question What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandments Answer I learn two things my Duty towards God and my c. Question What is thy Duty towards God Answer My Duty towards God is to believe in him c. IS it not your Duty to believe in God Yes Do you believe him to be an infinitely wise just powerful holy and good Spirit Yes Is not a Christian to fear God so as to be afraid to offend him Yes May a Christian fear Man more than God No. May a Man commit a Fault to please Men though he displease God No. Should we not love him who is infinitely lovely Yes Should we not love him with all our Heart Soul Mind and Strength Yes Is it not reasonble to love a great and good and wise and merciful God Yes Should we ever cease to love that God that is willing we should be saved No. Can we cease to love him who sent his Son to die for us No. Is it not reasonable we should fall down and worship that God that made us and all the World Yes Is it not reasonable we should fall down and Worship that God that can send us to Hell in an instant Yes Is it not reasonable we should give him thanks who gives us Food and Raiment Yes Must not a Christian put his whole Trust in God in all his Needs and Dangers Yes May a Christian seek to deliver himself out of them by any unlawful means No. Is not this to distrust God Yes Must not a Christian call upon him in Prayer Yes Is it not reasonable we should call upon that God that is able to help us Yes And is he not willing and ready to help us in all needs and dangers if he see it fit for us Yes Is it not reasonable we should Honour his holy Name seeing to glorifie it was the great End of our Creation Yes Is it not reasonable we should honour and love that Word which is the Message of Divine Love to us Yes Is it unreasonable we should serve such a God and obey him truly all the days of our Life No. Has he not provided eternal Rewards in Heaven for our moment's obedience here Yes And can we expect more for doing less No. Question What is thy Duty towards thy Neighbour Answer My Duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as c. SHould we not do to all men as we should be content they should do to us if they were in our condition and we in theirs Yes Are we willing to have any Evil done to our own Souls No. Should we therefore do any Evil to any other Man's No. Are we willing to have our own Bodies maimed or wounded No. Are we willing to have our own Goods or Estates injured by any Man No. Should we therefore do so to any other Mans No. Are we willing to have our own good Name taken away and slandered No. Should we then do so to any other Man's No. Are we willing to have our own Needs and Wants relieved by them that are able to do it Yes Should we therefore according to our ability relieve the Needs of others Yes Would we not have all Men deal fairly honestly and justly with us in all Cases Yes And ought we not to deal so with others Yes Is not this to love our Neighbour as our selves Yes Should a Christian hurt any man by word or deed No. Should he be just and upright in all his Dealings Yes May he bear malice hatred or ill will to any in his Heart No. May a Christian be given to lying evil-speaking and backbiting No. Should a Christian be sober chast and temperate Yes Should a Christian that hopes to see God be a Whoremonger Glutton or Drunkard No. Should we wish or desire to deprive our Neighbour of any thing that belongs to him No. Should a Christian be diligent in his calling Yes And should he be content with his State and Condition Yes SECT IV. Postulanda Or Things to be prayed for Of the Lord's Prayer Catechist MY good Child know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walk in the commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent Prayer Let me hear therefore if thou caust say the Lord's Prayer Answer Our Father c. CAN we keep God's Commandments without his help No. Should we not daily pray to God for his Grace and Strength to do his Will Yes Should any Christian pray less than twice every day No. Should not those who have leisure do well to do it oftner Yes Must our Heart go along with our Mouths when we pray Yes Should a Christian kneel upon his knees when he prays Yes In our Prayers should we ever leave out the Lord's Prayer No. PREFACE Our Father which art in Heaven I. PETITION Hallowed be thy Name IS not God who created us our Father Yes Are we not his Children by Adoption too Yes Is he not then our Father by Creation and our Father in Christ Jesus Yes Is this good Father of ours unwilling to hear us if we ask aright No. Is not this our Father in Heaven Yes When you say Father doth not this teach you to pray with the Affections of a Child and with reverential Love Yes When you say Our Father doth not this teach you to pray for others as well as your self Yes When we say hallowed be thy Name do we not mean Sanctified be thy Name Yes When we say hallowed be thy Name do we not desire God to enable us to Worship Glorifie and Honour him Yes Can we Reverence and Adore and Glorifie him aright unless he enable us No. Is it not fit therefore we should first desire him to strike an awe into our Hearts while we are praying to him Yes II. PETITION Thy Kingdom come WHen we say Thy Kingdom come do we not pray that God's Kingdom of Grace may come to us here Yes And do we not pray that his Kingdom of Glory may come to us hereafter Yes Can we pray for any thing better or more desirable than the Kingdom of Grace here and the
in the sight of them all carried him through the Air into Heaven where he now sits to prepare a place for us and intercedes to God for all faithful penitent Sinners I believe he sits at God's right hand that is that he is there exalted to the greatest Power and Glory Not that God has Hands as we have for God is a Spirit and a Spirit has no Hands as we have But as with us the right Hand is a Place of Honour so I am fully perswaded that Jesus Christ is exalted in Heaven to the greatest Honour Power and Glory and there pleads and mediates with God for all those that believe in him repent of their Disobediences and live a New and Christian Life And thus I believe that he ascended in Heaven and sitteth at the right Hand of God VII ARTICLE From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead THE meaning is I do freely and fully assent to this as an undoubted Truth That Jesus Christ who is both God and Man at the End of the World shall certainly come again with Power and great Glory from the same Heaven into which he ascended attended by his Holy Angels to Judge all Mankind according as they have lived here That every Eye shall see him and they that pierced his Hands and Feet shall behold his Majesty his Terror and his Glory I believe that the World being dissolved and the Earth and all things thereon being burnt up the Lord Jesus shall sit in the Air in a Glorious Throne and shall judge the quick that is all those that shall be alive at his Coming and the dead that is all those that were dead before since the World began That the Records of their Conscience shall be laid open that is all that ever they thought or spake or did shall be brought to their Memory I believe firmly That he will judge them Righteously and them that have lived unholily irreligiously and died impenitently he shall sentence to eternal Darkness But them that have believed in him repented of and reformed their Sins and lived holy and good lives he shall adjudge to dwell with him in Heaven and Happiness for ever And thus I believe he shall come to judge the quick and the dead VIII ARTICLE I believe in the Holy Ghost THE meaning is I firmly believe That the Third Person in the adorable Trinity the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is God as well as the Father and the Son I believe him to be a Person distinct from both the Father and the Son eternally proceeding from both and equally sent by both and joint Author with both of our Salvation That though these are Three Persons yet are they but One God and though this cannot be fully understood in this World yet I believe it firmly I believe That as God the Father created me and God the Son redeemed me so this God the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit sanctifies me offers me his Grace and Assistance to do the Will of God is my Comforter and always 't is he that puts into my Mind good Desires and pious Purposes So that I believe intirely that he is not only of perfect Holiness in himself but also that he is the immediate Cause of all Holiness in us that by him all the Servants of God are enabled to do all things necessary to Salvation which by the force of Nature they cannot do That 't is he who enlightens our Understandings sanctifies our Will orders and commands our Affections that 't is by his Assistances imparted to us that we speak or do any thing of our Duty Thus I believe God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost not to be Three Gods but Three Persons and but One God And though I shall never in this Life fully comprehend this Mystery of the Trinity yet I firmly believe it And thus I believe in the Holy Ghost IX ARTICLE I believe in the Holy Catholick Church The Communion of Saints THE meaning is I do freely profess to believe That Jesus Christ did by the Preaching of the Apostles gather unto himself a Church consisting of Thousands of beliving Persons to which he daily added such as should be saved and will successively and daily add to the same to the End of the World That this Catholick that is Universal Church is the Corporation or general Family of all true Believers Or that Body or Society of Persons that profess Christ and his Gospel and is governed and continued under Bishops and Pastors lawfully called to that Office by whom the Word and Sacraments are duly Preached and administer'd under Christ their Head I firmly believe this Church of Christ to be One Holy and Catholick One in respect of our Faith One in respect of the Sacraments One in respect of being guided and directed by the same Spirit One in respect of One and the same Head Christ Jesus and One in respect of the same Hope of Glory and Immortality Holy in respect of its Head the Holy Jesus Holy by baptismal Dedication Holy in respect of its Design and End Holy in respect of the Holy Offices performed in it all which tend to produce Holiness and Holy in respect of its Calling Profession and Hope Catholick in respect of that Catholick Faith Truth and Doctrine which it teaches Catholick or Universal in respect of that Universal Obedience which it obligeth all Men to Catholick in respect of time that is it shall universally be continued to all Ages to the End of the World Catholick or Universal because 't is made up of all the particular Churches in the World Catholick in respect of that universal War which it always is to hold against all its Ghostly Enemies Catholick or Universal in this Sense that it is not limitted or confined to one Nation as the Church of the Jews was but by the Command and Appointment of Christ to be spread abroad and gathered from all Nations under Heaven I believe That of this Catholick Church part is on Earth and part in Heaven that is the Saints departed are the triumphant part of the Church and all true Believers Lovers and Obeyers of Jesus are the Church Militant And as I ever desire to be a Member of this Holy Catholick Church so I believe there is and ought to be a Communion of the Saints in it that is a Society or Fellowship one with another in all Holy Things As all Saints on Earth or all true Believers have in common One God One Christ One Holy Spirit One Lord One Faith One Baptism So I believe they ever did and ought to keep up a Holy Fellowship or Society with each other in all the common Christian offices and duties in Faith in professing the Gospel in hearing the Word in receiving the Sacraments in Charity and doing good to each other and in all common Christian offices of Piety and Devotion And I fully am perswaded that while the Saints or true Believers on Earth
here as well as an eternally happy Life hereafter For what length of days in Canaan was to the Jews that to us is immortal Life in Heaven what being excluded thence was then that now is everlasting Death or Banishment into the Regions of Misery So that here again if we reflect on what is injoined us in this Commandment as we ought and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own Lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it adventured on in Thought Word or Action how earnestly and devoutly should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by thy Grace we may most sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days VI. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt do no Murder Sins forbidden THE meaning is Thou shalt not commit either the murder of the Heart the murder of the Tongue or the murder of the Hand and Actions Thou shalt not be guilty of the murder of the Heart by Malice Envy Revenge Contention inward Cruelty or Hatred for he that hateth his Brother is a murderer Or by inward ill Wishes Curses or Desires of mischief to his Life or Health Thou shalt not be guilty of the murder of the Tongue by any virulent bitter intemperate and contumelious speaking railing or reviling by any rash causeless immoderate or implacable Anger that expresses it self in foul provoking and reproachful Language calling of names Fool Raca or the like Thou shalt not commit the murder of the Hand and Actions by beating maiming wounding killing any other or by doing hurt to the Body Life and Health of thy Neighbour Thou shalt by no means fight a Duel Thou shalt not procure Abortions or Miscarriages Thou shalt not be a quarreller or unpeaceable or contentious person or sow strifes and dissentions Here also is forbidden all unjust and unlawful War Thou shalt not willingly hasten thy own or any others Death Thou shalt not by oppression or violence so imbitter any Man's Spirit as to make his Life sad and miserable or his Death hasty Thou shalt not conceal the dangers of thy Neighbour which thou canst safely discover Thou shalt not willfully vex threaten keep in fear disquiet or grieve thy Neighbour Thou shalt not contrive with or imploy any other to harm him Much less shalt thou murder or injure the Souls of others by encouraging ensnaring tempting commanding or any way drawing them to sin Thou shalt not be guilty of unmercifulness cruelty inhumanity grudging repining and rancour and disdain against others Thou shalt not be a person given to irreconciliation frowardness implacableness mocking scoffing brawling clamour detraction or censoriousness Duties commanded So that these things being forbidden it follows that what we are here commanded is That we use all lawful endeavours and means to preserve our own and our Neighbour's Life and Health and Safety As much as in us lies to preserve and follow Peace with all Men. To prevent as far as possible and hinder all murther of the Tongue Heart or Hand To be merciful bountiful and charitable to all that are necessitous and in distress To be gentle long-suffering courteous affable and kind to all Men. To love one another forbear one another forgive one another to do all offices of Charity for one another to be easily pacified and reconciled to one another ready to return good for evil to repay injuries with kindness to compassionate succour and relieve one another in necessity misery or danger according to our abilities and opportunities to be compassionately zealous to save the Life the Eternal Life of Souls by endeavouring to reclaim the Wicked by friendly seasonable and affectionate advice reproof and exortation And now if we consider here as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it adventured on in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we always say with the Church Lord have mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to love and obey thee for the future that through thy Grace we may most sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days VII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not commit Adultery THE meaning is Thou shalt watchfully preserve thy Soul and Body in the Purity and Chastity either of single Life Duties commanded or lawful Marriage Thou shalt keep all the Parts of thy Body which is the Temple of the Holy Ghost chast and undefiled Thou shalt be Chast in Heart in Tongue and in Behaviour Thou shalt have a Chast Hand and Eye and Ear. Thou shalt avoid all opportunities means occasions and instruments of defiling either thy Neighbour or thy self Thou shalt use that sobriety temperance and moderation in Meats and Drinks and that modesty in Behaviour and Apparel as may be most conducive to the preservation of Chastity and Purity Thou shalt by Watching Fasting and Prayer by keeping sober honest and chast Company by avoiding Idleness or by Lawful and Holy Marriage offer up to God that most acceptable Sacrifice of a pure Soul and a chast Body These things being here commanded us we are forbidden as follows Thou shalt not commit or be Sins forbidden guilty of any actions of uncleanness with thy self or any other Thou shalt not use any filthy or unchast words immodest or impure Communications or Gestures Thou shalt not violate thy Neighbour's Bed or break thy own Marriage Vow or cause others to break theirs by Adultery Thou shalt not commit Incest Beastiality Sodomy Polygamy or having more Wives than one Whoredom or Fornication Thou shalt not willingly admit or delight in unchast and unclean thoughts fancies desires and imaginations Thou shalt not commit the Adultery or Fornication or unchastity of the Eye Hand or Heart Thou shalt not be guilty of wanton dalliances with others or of pollution of thy own Body Thou shalt not tempt or betray thy self or others to the least degrees of Uncleanness by those things that provoke and feed Lust as Lascivious Company or Discourse Songs Books or Pictures by Luxurious Diet Idleness wantor Dresses and immodest Actions Here also if we seriously consider as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own Lives find any of the duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it sadly adventured on by us in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts
to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that through thy Grace we may most sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our days VIII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not steal Duties commanded THE meaning is Thou shalt render to every Man this due and permit all Men peaceably to enjoy their own Thou shalt by just and lawful means not only further thy own but also thy Neighbour's Wealth and outward Estate Thou shalt in all things do unto others as thou wouldst they should do unto thee were they in thy condition and thou in theirs Thou shalt live in a Lawful Calling and be diligent in that Calling that so thou mayest avoid all temptation to the breach of this Commandment Thou shalt be Just and Upright in all thy Bargains Contracts and Dealings Thou shalt be so frugal and provident of thy Estate and so contented with it that thou mayest fly all Inticements to Fraud and Injustice Thou shalt buy and sell by Just Weights and Measures Thou shalt conscionably pay Debts and Wages Not only thy own proper Debts but also those for which thou art bound and become a Surety if the Principal cannot or will not Thou shalt use this World so as not to abuse it but be upright and faithful in trusts trade and agreements Thou shalt be willing to give and lend and remit and forgive according to thy Ability and Prudence and thy Brother's Necessities Although thou mayest go to Law for a considerable and just Right yet if thou art forced to do it thou shalt contend more for Right than Victory and still carry a friendly Christian and charitable temper towards the Party Thou shalt manage all thy temporal Blessings or the Goods of this World with Thankfulness to God Sobriety to thy self and Charity and Justice to all beside Thou shalt surely make restitution or satisfaction according to thy Power for such wrongs as thou hast done to any when they come to thy knowledge Thou shalt either by thy self or others make that restitution to himself if he be living and thou canst find him Or to his Heirs or Executors if he be dead Or to the Poor if thou knowest him not This being commanded the chief things forbidden are these Thou shalt not injure any Man in his Possessions or Estate by open Violence or Robbery by secret theft by fraud or cozenage extortion oppression or any injustice Thou shalt not use false Weights or Measures If thou find any thing thou shalt not by any means keep it from the owner if thou know him or canst understand who ' t is Thou shalt not refuse to pay thy Debts if thou art able It is not fit thou shouldst take Use Sins forbidden or Interest of the Poor and Needy Thou shalt not rob God of his Dues by Sacrilege and detaining Tithes Nor the King of his Dues by withholding his Tribute and Custom Thou shalt inherit nothing of another's that is committed to Trust and Charge Thou shalt not use deceit fraud and cozenage in Bargains Contracts Buying and Selling and Coin If thou art a Seller thou shalt not conceal the faults of the thing sold either by denying them or by using arts and tricks to hide those faults of it If thou art a Seller thou shalt not pick out ignorant Chapmen that thou mayest by reason of their unskifulness put off thy faulty Wares upon them If thou art a Seller thou shalt not take advantage of the ignorance indiscretion or necessity of the Buyer to over-reach him or over-rate the thing sold If thou art a Buyer thou shalt not take advantage of the Ignorance of him that knows not the worth of what he sells If thou art a Buyer thou shalt not take advantage of the necessities of the Seller nor grate and lie hard upon him because his wants compel him to sell though at any rate Thou shalt not be guilty of the Sin of Covetousness by getting or keeping any thing by unlawful unjust or uncharitable means or to permit any Interest to rob thee of thy Innocence or thy Duty Thou shalt not torment thy self with immoderate inordinate anxious vexatious distracting and distrustful Cares Thou shalt not be guilty of commencing Contentions and Vexatious Law-suits either for Revenge Stoutness of Humour or to defend an inconsiderable Right Thou shalt not refuse to pay what thou hast borrowed Thou shalt not defraud Orphans Widows or detain Hirelings Wages Thou shalt not take Bribes to pervert Equity and Justice Thou shalt not break thy Faithful Promises tho' made to thy own disadvantage or refuse to stand to thy Bargain Thou shalt not refuse to make Restitution Thou shalt not by wasteful Prodigality Negligence Sloth or Idleness or covetous Gaming waste thy own or other Mens Estates and Possessions Seeing all these things are breaches of this Commandment if we seriously consider as me ought what it is that is enjoined us in it as well as what 's forbidden and then reflecting upon our own Lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it adventured on in Thought Word or Action how earnestly and devoutly should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of this Commandment And so incline our Hearts to thy Love and Obedience for the future that through thy Grace we may most sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days IX COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour THE meaning is When thou art called by a Magistrate to be a Witness Duties commanded thou shalt speak the truth of thy Neighbour that is any other Man Thou shalt labour as much as lieth in thee to preserve the good name of thy Neighbour Thou shalt as far as thou canst with Justice and Charity to others conceal or excuse thy Brother's Infirmities Thou shalt judge the best and speak the best of him Where thou knowest him innocent thou shalt be ready to vindicate his good-name on all occasions Thou shalt put as candid and fair Interpretations upon his Actions as they will bear Thou shalt be loth to hear slow to believe and unwilling to spread an evil Report Thou shalt be courteous and affable to all Men. Thou shalt religiously observe Truth in Speaking Thou shalt be charitably tender of thy Neighbour's good-name for how can I love him if I take that from him which I know to be very dear to him As these things are commanded so the things following are forbidden Sins forbidden Thou shalt neither in Judgment nor in ordinary Discourse speak what is untrue of thy Neighbour Thou shalt raise a false Report of non Man Thou shalt wound no Man with the Sword of the Tongue openly or secretly Thou shalt not by whispering
slandering backbiting detraction or defamation injure the good-name of any Man Thou shalt not raise Jealousies and Suspitions of thy Neighbour causelesly Thou shalt bear no false Witness of thy self by bragging or boasting thy self Thou shalt not be a Tale-bearer thy self nor readily hear and encourage Tale-bearers Thou shalt not be a Dissembler or Flatterer Thou shalt in no case tell a Lye or counsel or pervert Right and Truth by Equivocations Thou shalt not mock and scoff at the Infirmities of others Thou shalt not be guilty of false Accusations false Pleadings false Testimonies or false Sentences in Courts of Judicature or Judgment Thou shalt not give rash severe and unmerciful Censures of other Men. Thou shalt not be a Railer or Reviler nor report and scatter false or doubtful Reports of thy Brother Thou shalt not be a Busie-body in other Mens matters Thou shalt not be guilty of false Acts or Forgery in any Deed or Writing Thou shalt neither deny conceal or oppose the truth Thou shalt not observe and judge other Mens Words and Actions severely and without Mercy Thou shalt not divulge or publish the faults of others without a design to do thereby Charity or Justice to some other Person Here now if we duly consider and seriously weigh what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own Hearts and Actions find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it sadly adventured on in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to love and obey thee for the future that through thy Grace we may sincerely and acceptably keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days X. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's House c. Sins forbidden THE meaning is Thou shalt not wish or desire to be possessed of what is thy Neighbour's by his loss or without his Consent Thou shalt not consent to any motions of thy Heart of contriving how thou mayest unjustly come by any thing that is another's Thou shalt not envy the Prosperity of any Man or grieve at it Thou shalt not repine or murmur or be discontented with thy own state and condition Thou shalt not inordinately seek or desire Riches Honours or Pleasures Thou shalt not torment thy self with vexatious carking distracting perplexing distrustful Cares Thou shalt not by Idleness and refusing to labour in an honest Calling bring upon thy self the temptation of coveting what is another's Thou shalt not neglect to stifle Sin in the first inward seeds and motions of it in the very Thoughts and Intentions for even those are hateful to a Holy God These things being forbidden the things commanded are Duties commanded If thou hast any Temptation to come by any thing of thy Neighbour's unjustly thou shalt resist it and labour to mortifie crucifie and subdue it Thou shalt cast off all such motions of thy Heart Thou shalt be content with thy own state and condition whatever it is without any desire of change murmuring repining or disquieting of others Thou shalt be well pleased and thankful for the Portion which God in his Wisdom has chosen for thee Thou shalt keep thy Heart clean from all consent approbation desires and intentions of Injustice Wrong or Uncharitableness to any Man Thou shalt diligently and honestly labour in the Vocation to which God hath called thee Thou shalt be well pleased that those things be thy Neighbour's which God hath given him Thou shalt stop and stifle all Sin whatever in the beginning and never permit thy Heart to consent to it This being the last of the ten Commandments if now upon the whole we duly weigh and seriously consider as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this and the other Commandments as also what is forbidden in them and then reflecting upon our own Hearts and Lives find any of the duties of them neglected by us or any of the Sins against them sadly adventured on in Thought Word or Action how affection rely should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and write all these thy Laws in our Hearts we beseech thee That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of these Commandments and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obey thee for the future that through thy Grace all these Laws of thine may be written in our Hearts and expressed in our Lives most sincerely and acceptably kept for the remainder of our days Question What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandments Answer I learn two things My Duty towards God and my Duty towards my Neighbour THE meaning is I learn by these Commandments the chief parts of my Duty towards God and Man By my Neighbour is meant any other Person besides my self though he be of another Nation and Religion yea though he be my spiteful and professed Enemy Which Commandments and Holy Will of God's I am to obey and keep and walk in all the days of my Life as was promised in my Name I should do when I was Baptized And I will henceforward labour to do accordingly Question What is thy Duty towards God Answer My Duty towards God is to believe in him to c. THE meaning is 'T is my indispensable Duty to God to believe him to be the only true God To be three Persons and but one God To fear him that is to be afraid to offend him To fear him in all actions more than Man so to fear him as alway to chuse rather to displease any Man than God To love him with all my Heart Mind Soul and Strength is so to love him as to love nothing equal with him or above him To love him so as above all things to desire to please him and to desire to enjoy him To Worship him with my Soul and Body Inwardly with my Soul and outwardly with my Body In Prayer to worship him with an humble Soul and an humble Body With the devout affections and humiliations of the Soul and with the lowly and reverent gestures of my Body To give him Thanks for all his Mercies temporal and spiritual whether to my Soul or Body either with reference to this Life or that to come To put my whole Trust in him in all needs wants and dangers whatever whether of Soul or Body for deliverance support and aid So to trust in him as never to seek to deliver our selves by any unjust or unlawful means To call upon him in all such needs and dangers for relief and assistance by Prayer So to Honour his Holy Name as not to use it irreverently vainly falsely or wantonly by any Perjuries Oaths or other Prophanations of it So to Honour his Word as to believe all the parts
himself is effectually and really but spiritually given and exhibited to all worthy Communicants And 2. It was appointed for a Seal or Confirmation and renewing of that Covenant of Grace which God made with us in and by Christ Jesus which is the great Benefit we receive by his Death 'T is true we were as I said admitted into this Covenant by Baptism and 't is as true that we have since that time by Disobedience broken our part of it But here we are graciously admitted to confirm it we renew it here Here we come to own that though we are Sinners yet we are no Apostates have not fallen from the Christian Faith Here we come solemnly to own our Crucified Master and to declare that as we were admitted into a gracious Covenant with God in Baptism so we now desire to confirm it desire to renew it humbly desire to receive the benefit of it to all Ages So that by coming to this last Sacrament of the Lord's Supper for the constant remembrance of his Death for us for the real and effectual receiving him and for a renewing of the Covenant of Grace with God we solemnly own whose we are to whom we belong what Religion we are Professors of We here most solemnly distinguish our selves from Jews Infidels and Mahometans We come to own and evidence solemnly to God and the World whose Name we profess and own and upon whose account 't is we hope Salvation We come to own for whose Death and Sufferings-sake 't is that we do humbly expect and hope to be blessed for ever happy for ever secure for ever so sit down in peace and glory for ever We shew by frequenting it upon whose account 't is we humbly hope to be safe then when the whole World shall be in Flames and the Earth with the Works thereof shall be burnt up Here we come solemnly to own upon whose account 't is we hope to have all our Prayers heard and to have our Obedience though imperfect accepted and all our religious Actions and Instance of Duty to be united to his Merits and his Intercession Question What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper Answer Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded c. THE meaning is As the outward part or sign in the One Sacrament is Water wherein the Person is Baptized In the name c. So the outward part or sign of the Other Sacrament is Bread and Wine Here now an ill Person may say 'T is strange there should be so much in pouring a little Water on an Infant and in eating and drinking a little consecrated Bread and Wine To this I answer This is a great instance of our Lord's Love and Tenderness and Mercy to us that he would enjoin us no such painful troublesom and chargeable ways of Service of him as were in the Jewish Church when That was the true Church Their Circumcision was a painful way of admitting them into Covenant with God Their Bullocks Sheep Goats and Lambs were offered up in Sacrifice to him But our Blessed Jesus requires of us no such expensive and painful Rites and Sacrifices in his Service and his Worship No he will please to admit us into Covenant with him into his Church and his Favour by being Baptized with Water In the name c. if we afterward sincerely stand to our Conditions of Faith Repentance and Obedience these easie and reasonable terms Then again in the other Sacrament of the Lord's Supper he permits and invites us to renew this Covenant and injoins us to remember the Death and Sufferings of him our Master not by any painful troublesom chargeable ways of Sacrifice or the like but by coming with Faith and Repentance Charity and Devotion to his holy Table there to Feast together on his Body and Blood represented and exhibited to us by Bread and Wine Question What is the inward part or thing signified Answer The Body and Blood of Christ which are verily c. THE meaning is As Bread and Wine are the outward parts or signs of the Lord's Supper to be seen by the Eye so the thing signified or inward part is this All faithful receivers do after a spiritual manner feed on the Body and Blood of Christ as truly and really as they do on the Bread and Wine They are by this heavenly Duty united more closely to him They behold in the broken Bread his Body broken on the Cross for us They behold and see represented in the Wine poured out his Blood shed for us Having beheld this they then truly spiritually and effectually receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in this Supper that is their crucified Saviour is really exhibited and given to the Souls of all faithful Communicants all the benefits of his Death and Sufferings conveyed to them Question What are the Benefits whereof we are made partakers thereby Answer The strengthening and refreshing of our Souls by c. THE meaning is That all penitent faithful sincerely worthy Communicants are by the receiving of the body and blood of our Saviour strengthened and refreshed both They are strengthened by the Grace of God hereby conveyed to them and they are refreshed by the comfortable hope of Pardon and of being admitted to his Favour Thus By this heavenly Duty their Faith is strengthened by beholding the lively representation of their crucified Saviour's Body broken and Blood shed before their Eyes By this Duty their Hope is strengthened when they see before them what great Things Christ has done and suffered for their Salvation how willing he is to be reconciled and that now there is nothing wanting to their Pardon and Salvation but a sincere Repentance Reformation and a persevering new Obedience By this Duty their Love to God is strengthened by considering and beholding his Love to them in sending his Son to die for their Sins and by beholding the Love of Jesus in laying down his Life for their Redemption By this Holy Duty their Love and Charity towards each other is strengthened when we consider how freely Christ laid down his Life for us all and that we are all Members of his Body how must this needs unite us with Peace and Love as we are Travelling on together to Jesus and Jerusalem By this Duty our Repentance would be strengthened and made more serious deep and persevering when we behold what bitter sufferings our Iniquities brought our Jesus to and in these sufferings behold the great hatred of God to Sin By this Duty our resolutions of Obedience would be strengthened For as the Representation of the sufferings of our dearest Lord for our Interest would encrease our Love so would that Love fix and endear our Obedience By the frequent and devout performance of this Duty our Souls would through the Grace of God then conveyed to them in it be strengthened in a lively and active Faith in a Seraphick Love in Divine Obedience and in a Primitive Piety As in this Duty
do this Use lawful means pray to God and trust him Yes Must we not trust in God for his Grace Yes But do we trust aright if we do not pray for it and do not carefully use and imploy that Grace which we have already No. Must we trust in God for a supply of our bodily wants Yes But do we trust aright if we do not use honest industry and labour No. Of Cares Is all carking vexatious distrustful and immoderate care unlawful Yes Is a prudent moderate Care unlawful No. Must we not therefore faithfully use our own endeavours and then look up to God for a Blessing on us Yes ¶ Sunday II. ¶ Of humility IS not humility towards God a Christian Duty Yes Is not this humility such a sense of our own meanness and his Excellency as may make us lowly and submissive to him Yes When God commands us any thing should not this humility make us chearfully set about it In respect of obedience Yes Is the proud Man apt to obey God No. Though we do sincerely obey God should not this humility keep us from any high conceits of our own performances Yes In respect of our own performancer If we do entertain any high and proud conceits of our own performances will they be acceptable to God No. Are not the best of our Works full of Infirmity and full of pollution Yes In respect of Patience Is Patience a duty towards God Yes Is Patience a willing and quiet yielding to whatever Affliction it pleases God to lay upon us Yes Can this Patience become easie to us without humility towards God No. Will the patient Man repine and grudge and murmur at that which God lays upon him No. When God afflicteth us doth he not aim at our good Yes Does not God correct and punish us to bring us to amendment of Life or for a trial of our Patience Yes And does not God often afflict and chastise us here Thankfulness for Afflictions that there may be nothing of evil left for another World Yes Well then should we not be thankful for Afflictions Yes Fruitfalness under them Should we be unfruitful under Afflictions No. Should we be so fruitful as to examine what Sin it might be that did provoke God to sinite us and to reform it Yes When any afflictions befal us from Man is it not by God's permission and sufferance Of Afflictions from Men. Yes Instead of looking upon them therefore with rage and revenge should we not look up to God and acknowledge his Justice in the Affliction Yes When God commands us to believe some things which seem impossible to us doth not Humility teach us to believe them Yes When God commands us to do any thing which is contrary to our fleshly reason and humour must we not do it Yes Submission to Divine Providence Is that Condition best for us whatever it be which God has put us in Yes Can we chuse better for our selves than God can for us No. When God denies us any thing of this world as Wealth Honour Beauty and the like is it not some way or other for our good Yes Is it not our Duty to Honour God Honour Yes That is are we not to have a very high esteem of God in our hearts Yes If we truly honour God should we do any unworthy Action in his Sight No. Of honouring God in his House Are we not to honour God in his House which is the Church Yes Should we not enter into his House with Awe and Reverence Yes in his Possession Must we not Honour God in his Possessions Yes What are these Possessions are they not Tithes and Offerings Yes Can we with-hold them from the Minister without sin No. in his Day Are we to Honour God in his Day Yes Is the Lord's Day to be spent in the Worship and Service of God Yes In Prayer Reading and Meditation Yes May any works except works of Necessity and Charity be done upon that day No. Should not a good Christian those of leisure especially besides the Lord's Day spend some other Days in the solemn Worship of God according as the Church has appointed Yes Should he not keep Christmas-Day Of Festivals with a thankful remembrance of the Nativity of our Saviour Yes Should he not keep Easter-Day with a thankful remembrance of Christ's rising from the Dead Yes Should he not keep White-Sunday with a solemn and thankful remembrance of the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles Yes Should not a good Christian if he have leisure keep other Holy-Days of Saints-days in memory of the Apostles and other Saints Yes Can any good Man desire to be excused from celebrating their Memory and blessing God for their Example and their Doctrine and desiring Grace to follow them No. Can any good Man blame the Church for setting apart and appointing these Days for this purpose No. Did not these Apostles and Saints reveal Christ and the way of Salvation to us Yes And should we not be thankful for this Yes Should we not at least upon these Holy-Days stir up our selves to the imitating their good Example Yes Fasts of the Church Are there not some Days of Fasting and Humiliation of our selves before God to be kept by the devout Christian Yes Are we not to miss a meal to give Alms to afflict our selves to confess and bewail our Sins before God upon these days Yes Are not Ash-Wednesday and Good-Friday two great Fasting-days Days of penitential Humiliation Yes Is there any Popery or Superstition in penitential Exercises Fastings and Humiliation on those days No. Of honouring God in his Word Are we not to Honour God in his Word Yes Is not this Word of God contained in the Scripture Yes Should we not read it study it and frame all the Actions of our lives by it Yes Should we perform those Duties which God commands us there to perform Yes Should we commit those things which God there forbids us No. Of Catechising Is the Word of God explained to us by the Catechizing and Preaching of God's Minister Yes Are Parents and Masters to Catechize and instruct their Children and Servants Yes If Persons have not been Catechized and Instructed when they were young should they be content to live ignorant when they come Elder No. of Preaching Should we frequently hear Sermons Yes But will hearing only make us good Christians No. Must we not labour to remember and practise what we hear Yes The Sacraments Are there any more Sacraments generally necessary than Two No. Do not these Sacrament convey great Blessings and Benefits to us Yes Of Baptism Did we not enter into Covenant with God when we were baptized Yes The Covenant of Grace What was the Covenant on God's Part was it not a promise of pardon of sin his sanctifying Grace and eternal Glory Yes
must she obey him then too Yes Can any thing warrant the Wife 's not obeying besides the unlawfulness of the Command No. Is the Wife to be faithful to the Husband's Bed Yes Fidelity And faithful and careful of his worldly affairs Yes May the Wife strive for Rule and Dominion over her Husband No. Is the Wife tenderly to love her Husbands Yes Love Can the faults of a Husband justifie the frowardness of a Wife No. Husbands Duty Love Faithfulness Does the Husband owe the Wife a tender Love Yes Is the Husband to be faithful to her Bed Yes Is not unfaithfulness to the Bed in either Perjury as well as Adultery Yes May the Husband deny the Wife maintenance No. Maintenance and Instruction Is the Husband to instruct the Wife according to his knowledge and ability Yes To pray for each other Should the Husband and the Wife pray for each other and advance one anothers good Yes Is it not a great sin to marry any that is promised to another Yes May those marry that are within the degrees of Kindred which are forbidden by God No. If a person marry one that is too near of Kin to his deceased Wife is not that as bad as if she were too near of kin to himself Yes Must not a Christian be faithful to his Friend Yes May he betray the Secrets committed to him by his Friend No. Friendship Its Duties Should he not assist his Friend in his needs and pray for him Yes Should he kindly admonish him of his Faults Yes Should we be constant to our Friend Yes Servants Duty Obedience Diligence Is a Servant to obey his Master in all lawful Commands Yes Ought not a Servant to be diligent in his labours as well in his Master's absence as when his Eye is over him Yes Ought a Servant to be faithful in those things which are committed to his trust Yes Faithfulness c. May a Servant waste or purlion his Master's Goods No. Or convert them to his own use No. Ought a Servant to be meek and patient under his Master's Reproofs Yes May a Servant give his Master or Mistress rude and surly Answers No. Ought not a Servant to be diligent in his Master's business Yes Should a Servant give himself to Idleness and Company-keeping No. Ought not Servants to be present at Family-Prayers Yes Masters Duty Ought not Masters to be Just to their Servants and to perform what they have promised Yes Is it not a great Oppression Justice and crying Sin to with-hold the Wages of the Hireling and the Servant Yes Ought not Masters to admonish and reprove their Servants Admonition when they sin against God Yes And should they not exhort and perswade them to Religion and Virtue Yes Instruction May Masters use Servants Cruelly and Tyrannically No. Should they not remember that they have a Master in Heaven Yes Should Masters be moderate and reasonable in their Commands Yes Should not Masters give them a good Example Good Example c. Yes Ought not Masters to provide them means of Instruction in Religion Yes Should they deny them time and opportunity for Prayer and the Worship of God No. Should Masters permit their Servants to live idly and neglect their Duty No. Should not Masters encourage them in well doing Yes Sunday XVI IS not Charity a great Christian Duty Charity Yes Are not all the parts of it to be seriously considered and conscientiously practised by all that will be true Christians Yes Is not Charity a sincere love of God and of our Brethren for God's sake Yes Does not Charity ingage us to desire and wish good to others In the Affections Yes Can a charitable Man wish any hurt either to the Soul or the Body or the Goods or the Credit of any Man No. To Mens Souls Is not a charitable Man first of all to wish all good to the Souls of all Men Yes Is it not a great uncharitableness to wish the damnation of any Man Yes Effects of this Charity If we love our Neighbour as our selves may we wish that evil to him which we would not have befal our selves No. Is not the charitable Man to be meek and peaceable with all Yes Is the charitable Man contentions or easily provoked No. Is not the charitable Man to be compassionate towards the miseries of others Yes Should not the charitable Man rejoice in the good and prosperity of others Yes Is it not the property of the charitable Man to pray for the good of others Yes Can a charitable Man be envious or grieve at the prosperity of another Man No. Will not true Charity cast Pride out of the Heart Yes Is the charitable Man apt rashly to judge or censure others No. Is not the charitable Man forward to believe the best and hope the best of all Men Yes Can a truly charitable Man be a Dissembler or pretend a false Love No. This Charity to be extend to Enemies Is that Charity where a Man loves another only because he may get by him No. Does not the true Christian Charity cast out of the Heart all malice and desires of revenge Yes May Christians desire to be revenged on their Enemies No. Can a malicious revengeful Man be charitable No. Must a Christian love and be ready to do good to his spitefullest Enemy Yes Should we make them any returns for their Injuries besides Blessings and Prayers No. Though this seem to be a hard Duty must not Christians chearfully obey it Yes Will not Heaven and Happiness make amends hereafter for our conscionable Practice of all such self-denying Duties Yes Should Enemies Persecutors slanderers Revilers or any that have wronged us conquer our Love toward them No. Should we endeavour to overcome the evil they do us by doing good to them Yes Should not Christians carefully practise such a Charity as this to Enemies though it be contrary to the customs and fashion of the World Yes Motives to it If any man should jeer you or despise you for such a Charity will not that liken you to your dear Saviour Yes And is it not a blessed thing to be likened to him Yes The command of Christ Seeing this Charity to and forgiveness of Enemies and returning kindnesses for affronts and injuries seems hard would you know how much you are ingaged to practise it Yes Well then is it not an express Command of Christ's Yes And should a Disciple desire to be excused from obeying so great a Command of his master's No. Example of God and Christ If the Command of our Saviour prevail not with us should not the Example of God and our Saviour prevail with us Yes When we were Enemies to God did he not send his Son to die for us Yes Did not Christ lay down his Life for his Enemies Yes And should we refuse to copy out his Example in
Is it not very fit that a good Christian should do his Alms by his own hand and not by another Person Yes Motives to Bounty If we are not able to give should we not pity and pray for them that need Yes Is there any Duty which our God so often and earnestly recommends to Christians as Charity and Alms No. Are there such great promises to any one Duty as to this No. Is not this the Duty by which God shall chiefly pronounce the Sentence at the day of Judgment Yes Will it not procure a Blessing here and hereafter Yes Is not reckoned as done to Christ whatever we do to our poor Brother Yes Is not Charity and Mercy one great sign of our Predestination to Life eternal Yes Does it not crown all other works of Religion and Piety Yes Should we neglect to perform a Duty which has so many advantages and promises Charity in respect of the Credit Yes Are not Christians to exercise Charity to the Credit of their Neighbour Yes Is it not an Unchristian thing causelesly to destroy the good name of another Yes If an innocent man be slandered should we not in Charity clear him if we know his Innocence Yes Should we not in Charity conceal the faults of our brethren unless it be necessary to discover them or unless they are so notorious as that they will be sure to betray themselves Yes But suppose we hear ill of our brother and know not whether it be true or false should we not be apt to judge and hope the best Yes Should we not endeavour to preserve the Credit of our Neighbour as far as we may Yes The great Rule of Charity Should we not ever labour to do to all men as we would have them do to us Yes Well then if we were in need would we not willingly have our Necessities relieved Yes Can we therefore refuse to do the like to others that are in need No. Are we not all willing to have our good name defended Yes Can we therefore in Charity by slanders or reproaches or evil speakings or rash Judgings destroy the good-name of others No. Are we not unwilling to have our own Bodies maimed or beaten or wounded Yes Ought we not therefore to forbear the doing the like to others Yes Ought we not to be willing of our own Souls Health Yes And if we love our Neighbours as our selves should we not desire their Souls good an Salvation Yes Is not Peace-making a great act of Christian Charity Peace-making Yes Should we not therefore as much as in us lies reconcile Enemies and end their grudges and quarels Yes Can those be Charitable that cause Strife and Contentions among any No. Ought not he that would be a Peace-maker to be a peaceable Man himself Yes Of going to Law May not a peaceable Man go to Law in some cases Yes But is he a peaceable Man who goes to Law for Trifles or inconsiderable matters No. Is he a charitable or peaceable Man who goes to Law out of stoutness of humor or contentiousness No. Is he charitable or peaceable who goes to Law out of Revenge No. That is should a peaceable Man go to Law merely because another sued him No. Rules for doing it Christianly Does not he deal most Christiantly who is content to part with somewhat of his right for Peace-sake Yes May a Christian then go to Law where the Damage is great and considerable if he can have satisfaction no other way Yes But must we not still carry a friendly and Christian temper towards the Party we go to Law with Yes Should we suffer our Hearts to be estranged from him No. Now we have seen all the parts of Charity in our Actions must we not shew them to our bitterest Enemies Charity of the Actions too must reach to enemies Yes Did I not say before that we are to forgive Enemies Yes And is not this the way to try the sincerity of our forgiveness by being ready to do them good and to relieve their needs as we have opportunity Yes Should not a Christian turn out of his Heart self-love Yes Is not self-love an immoderate love of our own Interests that causes us to be unjust or uncharitable towards others Yes Can we perform these Self-denial and many other Christian Duties without the Practice of self-denial or taking up the Cross No. Must we not deny our own corrupt inclinations in obedience to the Commands of God Yes And must we not take up the Cross and endure affliction shame or reproaches when we cannot otherwise perform a Christian Duty Yes Prayer a means for all Graces Can we hope to perform these or any other Duties without Prayer and begging God's Assistance No. If we suffer any thing for Christianity-sake have we not reason to rejoice in it Yes Have we any reason to faint or grow weary of our Christian Duties when there is a Crown of Glory at the end of them No. Shall we be losers by any thing we can do or suffer here for Righteousness sake No. Should we not therefore instantly set about the performing all known Duty Yes And should we not instantly endeavour to reform all known Sin Yes Should we put off the serious consideration of these things from day to day No. Danger of delaying our turning to God Should we put it off to our Death-bed No. Can we delay to turn to God without infinite hazard of our immortal Souls No. FINIS Books Sold by Henry Bonwicke at the Red Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard THE General History of the Reformation of the Church Written in Latin by John Sleiden faithfully English'd To which is added a Continuation to the end of the Council of Trent by E. Bohun Esq in folio Two useful Cases resolved I. Whether a Certainty of being in a State of Salvation be attainable II. What is the Rule by which this Certainty is to be attained in 4o. Pia Desideria Or Divine Addresses In Three Books Illustrated with Forty-seven Copper Plates Written in Latin by Herm. Hugo Englished by Edw. Arwaker M. A. in 8o. A Discourse proving from Scripture and Reason That the Life of Man is not limitted by any absolute Decree of God By the Author of The Duty of Man c. In 8o. Liturgia Ecclesiae Anglicanae Lat. 12o. The Best Guide to Devotion Being short Prayers Meditations and Thanksgivings taken only out of the Scriptures and fitted to all Occasions In 24o. THE END