the Danger you are Daily subject to for the Strengthning you against all your Temptations for the Pardoning of all your Sins Surely your Daily Wants your Daily Infirmities Daily Dangers your Daily Temptations and your Daily Sins do all call upon you for your Daily Prayers in your Family For your being a Member of that Church I am sure will not excuse the Neglect thereof Besides this I may be bold to affirm That there is no Church this Day in the Christian World that in her Doctrine doth encourage real Goodness more or strive more to keep the Ballance even that God may have the things that are God's and Man the things that are Man's than the Church we now live in And how you will vindicate your self in the last day for this Neglect I cannot tell When you are exhorted in the Church told in the Pulpit that it is your Duty and God threatens the Neglect thereof with not owning you at the last Day if you do not Pray with your Family at Home as well as bring them to Church Why will you profess your self Her Member if you will not obey Her Doctrine What do you go to Church for only to drive away the time or to act the part of a Hypocrite Do you think the Minister is sent to Preach to you in Vain If you think he doth not Preach the Truth why will you go to Hear him If he doth Preach the Truth why will you not set about to Practice what he saith Do you think that God takes no notice of the Neglect or that He will not call you to an Account for it Yes yes God takes Notice of you as He said to the Prophet They came before thee as my People and they hear my Words but will not keep them and what our Saviour saith in Luke 19. 27. to the Vnprofitable Servant may be said here But those mine Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Men perhaps cannot see this Neglect but God and Angels see it yes and Devils too which will all be Witnesses against you in the last Day of Account O how will you wish when you come to Die you had performed this Duty more your self instead of Laughing at those that do it as too often I have heard some Men blame the Dissenters for their using Extemporè Prayers in their Families when they themselves use none at all in theirs and think their bare being a Member of the Church of England and going to Church once a Week is a sufficient Service for Almighty God If I am not mistaken this has been your Fault Brother And will not this be an Argument against you in the last Day And will not their using Extemporè Prayers in their Family condemn you for using none at all in yours For while you condemn all those that are of another Perswasion who are only Mistaken or Misled in some Texts of Scripture or false Notions of other Mens you condemn your own Neglect and this all Men will allow That he that is Misled in matter of Judgment is more to be excused than that Man who lives contrary to a known Command for the last is condemned in his own Judgment if he will but take time to consider it And let me tell you Brother you will find it a very beneficial and very easie Duty when Love ingageth the Practice of it for What can there be more easie than to pray to God and to represent our Needs and that we have our Needs supplyed only for asking and desiring passionately and humbly Can we buy any thing cheaper than at the rate of an Humble Prayer Consider how many excellent Promises are made to Prayer and that nothing disposes us more to receive the Grace of God and a Blessing upon our Family than Prayer What can be more pleasant than this Duty of Prayer when Christ unites them to his own and bids us come for Relief and Pardon of our Sins For Prayer can open the Gates of Heaven and shut the Gates of Hell it can open the Treasures of Rain and soften the Iron Rocks till they melt into Tears It is an Act of Grace and the highest Honour that we Dust and Ashes are admitted to speak to the Eternal God to run to Him as to a Father to complain of our Burthens to explicate our Scruples to beg Remedy and Ease Support and Comfort Health and Safety Counsel and Salvation And what can be more unreasonable than to neglect this Duty upon which so many and so great Blessings both upon your self and Family do depend How Unkind are you to your self and not only so but Unkind to all that are about you I mean Unkind to their Souls and extreamly Uncharitable to take no care at all of this Duty for the Neglect of which God often sends great Judgments upon a whole Family either by sore Jer. 10. 25. Affliction or sometimes which is worse Hardness and Blindness of Heart for the Word of God will certainly be fulfilled he hath said That the House of the Wicked shall be overthrown Prov. 14. 11. And may not that be said to be a Wicked House when neither Thou nor thy Wife which should be Lights to the rest nor Children nor Servants make Conscience of this Duty to Worship God by Prayer or if you or they chance to do it when you are in the Bed it is with that Coldness and Sleepiness that I may call it none at all or at least Lip-Service when the Heart is a Sleep and by your Example perhaps your Children and Servants think it not their Duty to go to Prayers at all neither Night nor Morning and so they go to Bed and rise the next Morning like Brutes without Calling upon that God in whom we Live and Move and have our Being Therefore let me intreat you to take courage to set about this Duty your self that you may not have Sins of others to answer for as well as your own take up that brave Resolution of the Prophet Joshua But as for me and my House we will Serve the Lord. As you are a Master of a Family you have a place of Trust committed to you by God who will certainly call you to an Account for it For here you are commanded by God to act the part of a King a Father a Priest and a Judge over your little Common-Wealth the Fourth Commandment tells you that every Master of a Family must take care of his Sons and Daughters his Man-servants and Maid-servants and All within his Gates not only to provide Food and Raiment for them but to take care of their Souls which is the better part And here you are to act for God you have the Charge from Him not only of Bodies but of Souls therefore let not the Dignity of your place make you forget your Duty for God will certainly call you and me to an Account for what Good we have done
to advance in Charity toward their Neighbours to grow Eminent in the Love of God to keep Holy the Lord's-Day to honour his Name and obey his Laws Put them in mind to come to the Publick Prayers of the Church and tell them that in the Publick Solemnities God opens his Treasures and pours out his Grace more abundantly upon them Private Devotions and the secret Offices of Religion are like the Refreshing of a Garden with the distilling and petty Drops of a Water-Pot but the Returns to Addresses made in the Temple and Services offer'd up in the publick Communion of Saints is like Rain from Heaven Advise them to behave themselves decently in the House of God for to be rude and talking to laugh and gaze about or to do any Indecency in that Place is to affront the Almighty to his very Face And for their more devout Behaviour in the Church recommend to them to read Dr. Comber's Companion to the Temple and another thing put them in mind of not to repeat the Absolution for that is to be pronounced by the Priest alone and this I urge because I have observ'd some saying the Absolution along after the Priest as if we could pardon our selves nor to repeat the Commandments in the Church but we ought to hearken to them with Reverence as if they were then spoken from God neither should they repeat any of the Prayers with an audible Voice except the Lord's-Prayer and the Responses because they give great Disturbance to others in their Devotions And I would particularly recommend to every one to buy and acquaint themselves with the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England that they may lay a good Foundation and have solid Principles to go by I am afraid that some that think very well of themselves do not rightly understand the Principles of their Religion These Articles are as Sea-Marks to shew what Rocks and Sands you are to avoid and by being well acquainted with them you will be able to give a good Account of the Doctrinal Part of our Religion and this is an excellent Foundation to build the Practical Part upon And of all things let me warn you that you do not in any Religious Conversation or Society or elsewhere say or do any thing to the Disparagement of the Ministry of the Church of England but ever preserve a due Respect for that Order In all greater Difficulties resort to them and pay them that Obedience and Honour which the Holy Ghost requires of you And though there may be some bad Men among them yet learn to distinguish the Order from the Defects that cleave to some of them and for all the ill Lives or Weakness of some do not condemn the rest nor erect your selves into Teachers but with great Humility edifie and encourage one another in Duties and Virtues which belong to all Christians Pride Self-conceitedness will ruine your Religion and if Order and Decency be not preserved your Meeting will become a Riot not a Christian Society Nothing will adorn your Piety more than a due Submission to your Pastors and those that would entice you to despise Them are certainly not your Friends but Enemies Therefore take the Apostle's Advice Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account that they may do it with Joy and not with Grief for that is unprofitable for you AND now in the last This following Part being took out of a private Letter a friend of mine designed for his Brother I thought it might not be amiss to recommend it to you here place there is one thing more that I would particularly recommend to you that are Masters of Families which is this That you would make Conscience of going to Prayer with your Families at least once or twice a day a Duty I think we may trace from our Father Adam for he was no sooner fallen from his Innocence and a Happy State but was sensible God was Angry with him and he thought it necessary to implore the Offended Deity by Prayer and Invocation by Sorrow and Repentance Offerings and Sacrifices and instructs his Children in the Knowledge of Divine things and maintains Religion and the Worship of God in his Family For we find Cain and Abel bringing their Oblations and Seth and Enos called upon the Name of the Lord and Enoch and Noah walked with God Gen. 4. 4. 5. 26. Gen. 6. 9. It cannot be doubted but that the Holy Patriarchs were careful in this Duty as appears by that Character God gave of Abraham in Gen. 18. 19. I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment to which they joyned Prayers and Praises as a necessary Duty And David saith Morning and Evening and at Noon will I Pray and you know Joshua's Resolution in this Duty but as for me and my House we will serve the Lord Joshua 24. 15. These Men did not comply with the sinful Neglect of the Times And indeed it 's no thanks to be Religious or go to Prayer with your Family when it is the Humour and Fashion of the Times for then you would be asham'd to neglect it by reason others do it The greatest Trial is as it was with Noah when we live in the midst of a corrupt Generation for it is the Crown of Vertue to be Good when there are all manner of Temptations to the contrary when the greatest part of Men go the other way when Vertue and Honesty are laugh'd at and censur'd as an over-wise and affected Singularity Thus it was with Noah he contended with the Vices of the Age and dared to own God and Religion in his Family when almost all Mankind besides himself and his Family had rejected and thrown it off And although Masters of Families are so careless of this Duty now it 's grown out of Fashion yet it is a Duty still The Primitive Christians did Pray with their Families three times a Day and looked on 't as a great Sin to omit it and What can we expect from you who do not care to Worship God at all Our bare being of the Christian Religion or calling our selves Members of the Church of England will avail but little without this Duty and our Saviour hath intimated so much unto us in the lord's-Lord's-Prayer by teaching us to Pray for our Daily Bread and I need not tell you that you have Daily Wants to be supply'd Wants for your selves and Wants for your Children and Servants Have you not Daily Infirmities both in your Self and Family to be healed Are you not Daily subject to Dangers and Temptations And do you not Daily Sin against God And is it not necessary then that you Daily Pray unto God for the Supply of all your Wants for the Healing of all your Infirmities for the Preventing
observe the Lord's Day to sanctifie it and not to neglect if in Health the Publick Ordinances of the Church and not to walk in Publick Walks or Places where much People go tho' he be in good Company to avoid the giving of Scandal to good Christians and encouraging the Wicked in their Ways 2. To receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper frequently and to attend the publick Service and Worship of Almighty God on Week-days as often as Conveniency will permit 3. To watch strictly that by no means any Action of our Lives nor yet any of our Words may bring any Scandal on the Holy Religion we profess being Just in all our Dealings And each Member shall encourage in their respective Families and Stations all manner of Religious Family Duties 4. That every one endeavour to keep his Soul in an habitual Frame of Prayer by setting the Lord always before his Face and by making Spiritual Reflections upon every Occurrence of Providence 5. That we do not wound our Conscience by a servile Compliance in wicked Company but rather to reprove them bearing Testimony to the Gospel of Christ as far as Conscience and Prudence do then permit us to do and yet to shun all manner of Affectation and Moroseness and be of a civil and obliging Deportment to all Men. 6. To avoid all wicked Company when we have not a lawful Call and to abstain altogether from Play-Houses and Gaming-Houses and from Ale-Houses or Taverns except when doing of Business does require and to arm our selves diligently against Excess upon any such Occasions 7. To discountenance as much as may be any Discourse being divulg'd whereby any Prejudice may arise to any Member of this or any other Society or any other Person whatsoever And to take special Care to avoid entring at any time into any manner of Disputes whether about Religion or Government or other Matters as being that which does insensibly betray to Passion 8. To pray for the Society in our private Prayers that God would preserve them especially from Hypocrisie and Spiritual Pride which is the Worm at the Root that will blast all and that we be helpful one to another 9. To exercise Mortification and Self-denial and to keep a Monthly Fast if Conveniency will admit or Necessity require at least to abstain from some Meals sometimes which will much conduce to bring the Body into Subjection to the Soul 10. That we endeavour that all our Discourse may be for the use of Edifying and to minister Grace unto the Hearers we will diligently apply our selves to the Reading the Holy Scriptures and particularly such parts as are most fitted to our Capacities and Information such as amongst many others is St. Matthew 5 6 7. Romans 12. Ephesians 5 6. 1 Thess 5. 11. That every one think it his indispensible Duty to take care of one anothers Soul and not to suffer Sin to lie upon our Brother and therefore if any Member by long absenting himself from the Meeting without known cause does give just Occasion to suspect him of too much indifference that then no Person shall think himself excus'd from the Obligation of striving to reclaim him unless there be some fit Person or Persons pitch'd upon by the Society to go and do that Charitable Office if there may be hope of his Recovery 12. That we often consider with an awful Dread of God's Wrath the sad height to which the Sins of many are advanced in this our Nation and the bleeding Divisions thereof in Church and State and that every Member be ready to do what upon consulting with each other shall be thought advisable towards the Punishment of publick Prophaneness according as the good Laws of our Land require to be put in Execution and in pursuant of the King's Order and Proclamation 13. To beware of rashly-Judging or Censuring others who do not so much frequent Holy Duties as our selves or upon any other account to express due Christian Charity to those of good Conversation thoâ— they dissent from us And to examine our selves every Night that our Repentance may be sincere always evidenced by good Works 14. If any Member of the Society be Sick we do not forget to visit him and others where we see it may be convenient that we may comfort each other in this to a better Life 15. Lastly That the Major-part of this Society may make what Alteration they shall think Necessary in these RULES which done they shall oblige each Member of this Society to performance subscribing his Name hereunto thereby to declare his Approbation of and his Resolution and Endeavour to live up to them Shorter Practical RULES to be read at every Meeting when there is not time for the longer and fit for every Member to get by heart I. THat God's Glory be the end of all our Actions 1 Cor. 10. 31. II. That we Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth John 4. 24. III. That we love God above all things and our Neighbours as our selves Mark 12. 30 31. IV. That we endeavour to make the Word of God the Rule of all our Actions Psal 191. 9. 105. John 5. 39. Rom. 15. 4. V. That we keep the Lord's-Day Holy Exod. 20. 8. Isa 58. 13. VI. That we stir up and exercise the Grace God hath given us in going on from Virtue to Virtue 2 Tim. 1. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. 1 Thess 3. 12. VII That we Pray Frequently Fervent Holy and Persevering 1 Thess 5. 17. Luke 18. VIII To be Just in all our Dealings Matt. 7. 12. Luke 6. 31. IX To receive the Holy Sacrament frequently 1 Cor. 11. 26. Luke 22. 19. X. To have Poverty of Spirit Meekness and Humility Matt. 5. 3 5. Luke 14. 10. XI To watch against Censuring our Neighbours Col. 3. 14. 1 Tim. 1. 5. XII To use our selves to holy Thoughts in all Places Eph. 2. 5. Jer. 23. 23 24. Heb. 4. 13. Psal 139. 23. XIII To examine our selves every Night Psal 4. 4. 2 Cor. 13. 5. XIV To be helpful one to another Cor. 12. 27. XV. To Pray one for another Jam. 5. 15 16. XVI To exercise Tenderness and Compassion to all Men 1 Thess 5. 15. XVII To shun all Occasions of Evil 1 Thess 5. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 9. XVIII To subdue the Body by Fasting Matt. 6. 16. Luke 2. 32 Act. 13. 2 3. XIX To make holy Reflections on our selves when we read the Bible or hear the Word of God James 1. 22 23 24. XX. To endeavour to give no Scandal to the Holy Religion we profess Mat. 18. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 32. XXI To avoid uncomely Jestings and foolish Talking Eph. 5. 4 25. Col. 4. 5. XXII To Judge none that do not so much frequent Holy Duties as our selves Matt. 7. 1. Rom. 14. 13. XXIII Lastly That we all endeavour to encourage pious Discourse and constant Meetings in our Societies as well as enlarge it with suitable Members Mal. 3. 16 17. Col. 6. 9. Heb. 10. 25. James 5. 20. A Friendly Discourse concerning Prophane Cursing and Swearing Wherein is shewed the Heinousness of those Sins and the Necessity of private Persons giving Information to the Magistrates Price Stitch'd Two Pence Sold at the same Place
in our Generations and how far we have sought his Glory and although I have only insisted upon your going to Prayers with your Family yet that is not all you are to do only I am in hopes if you would perform that you could not easily neglect the other Duties such as Reading the Word of God Singing of Psalms Catechising and Instructing your Children and Servants in True Christian Virtues and showing them their Duty to God and Man to see if they thrive in Grace or make Conscience of their Duty to God as well as to your Self For I fear we shall have but little assurance of our own Salvation except we endeavour the Reformation of our whole House so far as lieth in our power The mark of Abraham's Goodness was That he would command his Children and his Houshold after him And David in the 101st Psalm declares his Resolution to this Duty And Good Men in all Ages have carefully performed it and the Primitive Christians were very strict in it And can we think to go to Heaven a nearer way when our Saviour hath commanded all Men to perform it The Scripture condemns all those that neglect it for if we be asham'd to own Christ in our Families and deny the Worship and Service that is due to Him here He will deny us before his Father and all his Saints and Angels at the last Day and then How sad will our Condition be But I hope Dear Brother I may take it for granted that you will neglect it no longer For consider how great satisfaction it will be to you when you come to Die that you have laid up a good Foundation for the time to come a Treasure that no Devil can rob you of a good Conscience then that you have discharged your Duty will go further than Purses of Gold O the Pleasure of looking back upon a well-spent Life in God's Service and Reforming our Families to the best of our Powers Methinks I see how charming it makes Death and how it doth support us in our Sickness arms us to bear the Pangs of Death through the Merits of Christ and makes us die with Joy with Hope with Comfort and Salvation Therefore let me intreat you once more to take up that brave Resolution of the Prophet Joshua But as for me and my House we will Serve the Lord. And in the last place let me advise you in the words of St. James chap. 5. v. 13. Is any among you Afflicted let him Pray Is any Merry let him sing Psalms And avoid all vicious and prophane Songs which corrupt the Mind Singing nothing but Psalms Hymns and Divine Songs which will raise the Mind to a Heavenly Frame a Duty so practis'd by the Christians of old that St. Hierom relates of the Place where he Lived That you could not go into the Field but you might hear the Ploughman at his Hallalujahs the Mower at his Hymns and the Vine-Dresser Singing David ' s Psalms So careful were they to follow the Apostle's Advice in Ephes 5. 19. with which I shall conclude Speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing and making Melody in your Hearts to the Lord. And That you may be Stedfast Vnmovable always abounding in the Works of the LORD Is the Hearty Prayer of Your Loving Brother S. W. THE RULES AND ORDERS OF A SOCIETY I. THat the sole Design of this Society being to promote real Holiness of Heart and Life it is absolutely necessary That no Person should be admitted into this Society as a Member but such as are well known to some of the Society as to their Lives and Conversations and that they are of the Church of England as now Establisht and that they are frequent Communicants of the Lord's-Supper and such as do endeavour to make themselves Wise unto Salvation II. Every Member shall meet if he can conveniently about Six of the Clock at the Place of Meeting one Night in every Week in order to incourage each other in Practical Holiness III. That at these Meetings no Person shall discourse of State-Affairs nor in the way of Trade nor any hot Controversial points in Religion or Government but that the whole drift of our Discourse be to glorifie God and edifie one another in Love IV. There shall be Two Stewards chosen by the majority of Voices once every Year or oftner who shall receive all Weekly Contributions and other Charities which shall come to the Disposal of this Society And that on the Day of their going out they shall give an Account of their Receivings and Disbursements and pay in the Overplus to their Successours and no Money shall be paid by them to any Charitable Uses or others but what shall be first approved and agreed upon by the Society at a Meeting And each Member shall give at their Entrance and a Register shall be kept of Receipts and Distributions V. Every Member of this Society shall pay a Week towards the Charge of our Meeting in Chamber-Rent Candles c. and for Charitable Uses if there be any Overplus and Spiritual Charity is the rather to be recommended VI. If any Person of this Society shall fall into any scandalous Sin that the Society having well inform'd themselves thereof shall exclude him from any further Assembling with them till he shall give publick Testimony of his Repentance VII At Whitsontide or Christmas there stall be a small Love-Feast by the Consent of the whole or major-part of the Society with few Varieties and at an easie Charge to be defrayed by every Members contributing proportionably VIII That if the major-part thinks proper the Minister of the Parish for the time being shall be President of this Society IX At their Meeting they shall observe this Method Assoon as some of the Members are come if the Stewards or either of them be there he shall take the Holy Bible and after saying the Prayer for the second Sunday in Advent shall read a Chapter after which any one that thinks fit may discourse thereon either by Explaining for the Edification of others or by asking Questions for his own Information or discoursing of any other Spiritual matter all things being done decently and in order After which he shall sing a Psalm and then one of the Stewards or any other at their request shall begin Prayers beginning with the Confession the Lord's-Prayer with the Collects that follow it and a Thanksgiving after Prayers and so conclude with a Psalm and a Collect and then the Stewards or one of them shall call over the Names and receive the Contributions and about 8 of the Clock all the Business being dispatch'd one of the Stewards shall read over these Practical Rules and the whole at least Four times every Year Practical RULES to be observed by every Member and read at every Meeting after Prayers when the Names are called over 1. EVery Member of this Society shall heartily endeavour through God's Grace strictly to