of the City and mocked him and said unto him Go up thou bald-head go up thou bald-head And he turned back and looked on them and cursed them in the Name of the LORD and there came forth two She-Bears out of the Wood and tare fourty and two Children of them 2 Kin. 2.23 24. VII You must not mock your Parents nor despise them no not in their old Age much less curse them or strike them but cover their Infirmities and do all you can to preserve their Honour Hearken unto thy Father that begat thee and despise not thy Mother when she is old Prov. 23.22 Remember Eli's two Sons were wicked and they despised their Father in his old Age not regarding his Reproof and God destroy'd them both For it 's said Eli was very old and heard all that his Sons did unto all Israel and how they laywith the women that assembled at the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation And he said unto them Why do ye such things For I hear of your evil Doings by all this people Nay my Sons it is no good Report that I hear ye make the LORD's people to transgress If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him But if a man sin against the LORD who shall entreat for him Notwithstanding they hearkened not to the Voice of their Father because the LORD would slay them 1 Sam. 2.22.25 And accordingly it came to pass For the Philistines sought and Israel was smitten and they fled every man into his Tent and there was a very great slaughter for there fell of Israel thirty Thousand footmen And the Ark of God was taken and the two Sons of Eli Hophni and Phinehas were slain 1 Sam. 4.10 11. To despise the Admonition and Reproof of your Parents is a great Sin but to mock at your Father or Mother is a greater And therefore it is said The Eye of him that mocketh at his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out and the young Eagles shall eat it Prov. 30.17 It is written in the Law Cursed be he that setteth light by his Father or his Mother and all the people shall say Amen Dent. 27.15 And every one that curseth his Father or his Mother shall surely be put to Death he hath cursed his Father or his Mother his Bloud shall be upon hun Lev. 20.9 And again Whoso curseth his Father or his Mother his Lamp shall be put out in obsecure darkness Prov. 20.20 That is he shall have no Child to call him Father and so dying without Children his Memorial shall perish and his Name shall be blotted out from under Heaven And He that smiteth his Father or his Mother shall surely be put to Death Exo. 21.15 Remember how the Sons of Noah carried themselves towards him and take Notice why that one was Cursed and the other Blessed As it is said Noah began to be an Husbandman and he planted a Vineyard and he drunk of the wine and was drunken and he was uncovered within his Tent. And Ham the Father of Canaan saw the Nakedness of his Father and told his two Brethren without and Shem and Japheth took a Garment and layd it upon both their shoulders and went backward and they saw not their Fathers Nakedness And Noah awoke from his Wine and knew what his younger Son had done unto him And he said Cursed be Canaan a Servant of Servants shall he be unto his Brethren And he said Blessed be the LORD God of Shem and Canaan shall be his Servant God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. Gen. 9.20 27. VIII If your Parents fall into wants you must be ready to releive and support them Thus the young Storks feed and sustain the old ones Thus in the years of Famine Joseph nourished his Father and his Brethren and all his Fathers Houshold with Bread Gen. 47.12 Our Saviour thus blames the Pharisees Ye say If a man shall say to his Father or Mother It is Corban that is to say a Gift to the Temple by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me he shall be free from an Obligation to relieve them And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his Father or his Mother making the Word of God of none effect thro' your Tradition Mark 7.11 13. IX You must not wrong your Parents by taking away any thing of theirs without their Consent For Whoso robbeth his Father or his Mother and saith it is no Trangression the same is the Companion of a Destroyer Prov. 28.24 X. You must be kindly affectioned towards your Brethren and Sisters There must be no strife nor Anger amongst you and you must not call one another by any bad Names For saies the Psalmist Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity Psal 133.1 And Abram said unto Lot Let there be no Strife I pray thee between me and thee for we are Brethren Gen. 13.18 Said Joseph to his Brethren whom he treated with great Kindness notwithstanding their ill usage of him See that ye sall not out by the way Gen. 45.24 Mind the words of our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Cause shall be in Danger of the Judgement and whosoever shall say to his Brother Raca that is Thou vain or empty fellow shall be in danger of the Council but whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in Danger of Hell-fire Mat. 5.22 Thus Children you see your Duties Now be it your Care to do them And then you shall not only be beloved of your Parents but God himself will love you and bless you and give you the Kingdom of Heaven for your Inheritance The Duties of Servants NOW you that are Servants Know if you will fear God and serve him God will accept you and honour you He will take you to be His Sons and Daughters and great shall your Reward be in Heaven But if not it will not be possible for you to escape His VVrath and Hell-fire Know then These are the Duties which God in his Word requires from you I. You must honour your Masters giving a due Respect to them For saith the Scripture A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master Mal. 1.6 And therefore Let as many Servants as are under the Yoke count their own Masters worthy of all Honour that the Name of God and his Doctrine be not blasphem'd And they that have believing Masters let them not despise them because they are Brethren but rather do them Service because they are faithful and beloved Partakers of the Benefit 1 Tim. 6.1.2 II. You must readily obey their lawfull Commands without Gain-saying or Contradiction For the Gospel requires Servants to be obedient to their own Masters and to please them well in all Things not answering again Tit. 2.9 Again saith the Apostle Servants be obedient to them
Jesus Christ and trust in him alone for thy Salvation Mat. 12.21 Submit thy self to him and seriously endeavour to do all those things which he requires of thee in his word and Gospel and thou shalt be saved and inherit life Eternall What Duties God requires of thee whether as a Child or a Servant I have plainly shew'd thee from the word of God Read thy Duty oft and never sail to do it This is the way to bring down God's Blessing upon thee and to become happy in his favour When thou comest to be of a competent Age that of sixteen years is the ordinary time prepare thy self for the right receiving of the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Know that in thy Baptism a solemn Covenant was sealed whereby thou wast obliged to forsake the World the Flesh and the Devill and to believe in God Iack. 1.74 75. and serve him in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of thy life Now know if the Vanities and Pleasures of this world gratifying thy natural appetites and Inclinations have drawn off thy mind and heart from the Remembrance Love and Service of God thou hast broken thy Baptismal vow For in stead of forsaking the World for God thou hast forsaken God for the world and thereby gratified thine own Flesh and Satan to the certain hazard and hindrance of the salvation of thy Soul But in the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper God is pleased to invite thee to renew thy Covenant with Him for thy Re-instatement in thy forfeited Felicity and thy more firm establishment in a happy state of Grace and Salvation For herein upon thy hearty Repentance and stedfast Faith in Christ he will seal unto thee the free and full Pardon of all thy past Sins and a Right to all the Priviledges of the Covenant of Grace and Felicities of the Kingdom of Glory Oh think it a happy Opportunity wherein thou may'st begin the world anew with God and be in as fair a State of Favour with him and have as firm a Hope of Happiness in Heaven as if thou hadst never sinn'd against him For the Bloud of Christ is exhibited in its Virtue in that Sacrament Mat. 26.28 to cleanse thee from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 Isa 1.18 so that tho' thy Sins were as Scavlet or Crimson thy Soul shall become as white as wool or snow in Salmen in the sight of God And moreover hereby thou mayst expect a Communication of those graces and comforts of the Spirit of God which may enable thee to that chearfull obedience to his holy Commands which will fit thee for the fruition of all the Priviledges of the Covenant of Grace and prepare thee for all the Felicities of the Kingdome of Glory That thou may'st not fail of these inestimable Benefits do not neglect this Blessed Ordinance but when thou hast an opportunity to receive it seriously prepare thy self for it For this purpose get by heart the Catechism for Communicants And when the time of the Administration approaches withdraw thy self from all Company into thy private chamber or some convenient place and there setting thy self as in the sight and presence of Almighty God seriously set upon the necessary work of Self-Examination This I have made very plain and casie to thee in that Pattern or example of it which I have set before thee Read it only with a serious attention and Self-application and thy work is done For hereby thou may'st clearly discern thy Spiritual State which is the great end of Self-examination And when hereby thou discoverest thy Sins and Defects humbly and heartily bewail them before God and earnestly beg Mercy and Grace stedfastly resolving to lead a new Life and to honour God by a better obedience for the time to come This thou may'st doe in the use of that Confession and Prayer which is here fitted for that purpose Fall down on thy knees therefore and with all the seriousness humility and devotion thou canst make thy Confession and Prayer to God and so may'st thou with safety and comfort go to the Lords Table that the Pardon of thy sins and the Promises of the Covenant may be seal'd up to thy Soul in the Bloud of thy Saviour and that all thy Defects and VVants may be supply'd from his abundant Grace and so thou mayst be furnished with strength for his service and filled with comfort and Joy in the hopes of his Salvation Having thus seriously engag'd thy self in a holy course of life persevere in it to the end Know now Heaven is before thee Hell behind thee it 's wofull to draw back to Perdition and therefore persevere to the saving of thy Soul Heb. 10.39 To this end be instant in Prayer Rom. 12.12 and endeavour to make a constant Progress in Piety to grow in knowledge and Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 whereby thou wilt daily make a nearer approach to the Kingdome of Glory Let no day pass without Prayer Consider in the morning it was God that kept thee the last night and if he do not keep thee and sustain thee thou canst not live another day And why should he keep thee if thou wilt not praise him for thy preservation nor pray to him to preserve thee Go not out then without Prayer lest God be angry and either cut off thy life from the Earth or shut thee out of Heaven At night kneel down on thy knees to pray before thou liest down on thy bed to sleep lest presuming to sleep in the guilt of sin thou should'st awake in the flames of Hell Make thy peace with God therefore by a hearty sorrow for the sins of that day with an earnest Prayer for pardon So mayst thou lie down in peace Psal 4.8 and sleep in safety under God's protection But still think this night this day may be my last and so demean thy self as if at the end thereof thou wast to appear before God in judgment For thy help in this holy course I have here furnished thee with certain Forms of Prayer and praise do thou add Spirit and life to them by offering them up daily with a holy fervour of affection to God The tongue may repeat the words but 't is the heart must make the Prayer For that 's no Prayer to God which is not offer'd up with a holy motion a pious affection of the heart and Soul of man Pray then that thou mayst have grace to live well and then live as thou prayest and live for ever And that thou may'st so live here as that thou may'st for ever live with God in glory diligently observe those Rules of good life which I have given thee out of the word of God Read them often on the Lord's Daies and especially on those daies on which thoureceivest the Holy-Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and therein renewest thy resolution and obligation to honour God by a Holy life Live according to these Rules carefully shun every known sin and
do A. Be faithfull unto death Rev. 2.10 Q. Must you then and all men die A. It is appointed unto men once to die Heb. 9.27 Q. But shall not the dead rise again A. As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 Q. Shall the dead then be raised by Christ A. All that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth Joh. 5.28 29. Q. When the dead are thus raised what shall we all do A. We shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ Rom. 14.10 Q. How shall he then Judge all men A. He will render to every man according to his deeds Rom. 2.6 Q. Shall not men then be call'd to account for their words A. Of every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account in the day of Judgment Mat. 2.36 Q. What will God bring into Judgment at that day besides men's words and deeds which have been openly spoken and done A. Every secret thing whether it be good or evill Eccl. 12.14 Q. VVhether shall the Righteous go thereupon and what shall become of the wicked A. These shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal Mat. 25.46 Rev. 22.20.21 He which testifieth these things saith surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen THE Scripture-Monitor Declaring The Duties of children and servants which are required of them by the express Commands of God himself in his Word and Gospel The Duties of Children COME Psal 34.11 ye Children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. I will plainly tell you what the God that made you requires of you If ye mind not these things to do them you despise the Word of God which requires them And remember Whoso despiseth the World shall be destroyed but he that feareth the Commandment shall be rewarded Acts 17.31 Eccl. 12.14 Prov. 13.13 And there is a Day of Judgment appointed wherein God will certainly call you to account for these things and either punish your Contempt or reward your Obedience Now if you will indeed hearken to the Voice of God Psal 81.8 Mat. 7.21 hearken to the Voice of God and obey his Will as you must do if you would go to Heaven when you die These are the Things which you must do I. You must honour your Parents carrying your self reverently towards them For it is said Honour thy Father and thy Mother Exo. 20.12 Deut. 5.16 which is the first Commandment with Promise that it may be well with thee and thou may'st live long on the Earth Eph. 6.2 3. II. You must obey your Parents readily doing what they bid you to do unless it be any Thing which you know is forbidden of God For it is said Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Eph. 6.1 And again Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Col. 3.20 And remember what further Charge is given you Do all things without Murmurings and Disputings Phil. 2.24 And know If you may not murmur youhnust not rebell Absalom rebell'd against his Father and came to an untimely End 2 Sam. 15.14 with Chap. 18.14 III. You must hearken to the Instruction of your Father and Mother and be willing to be taught by them Saies Solomon to his Son My Son hear the Instruction of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother For they shall be an Ornament of Grace unto thy Head and Chains about thy Neck That is the Virtues they teach you will make you more lovely in the eies of all men than the richest Jewels and Ornaments IV. When they chastize you for your faults you must bear this Correction with patience and humble Submission and amend what is amiss For saith the Apostle We had Fathers of our Flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence Heb. 12.9 You must know if they do not correct you for your faults they do not indeed love you For He that spareth his Rod hateth his Son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Prov. 13.24 For if they should let you go on in Sin without Correction you might at length fall into Hell and be destroy'd without Remedy And therefore God hath said With-hold not Correction from the Child for if thou beatest him with the Rod he shall not die Thou shalt beat him with the Rod and deliver his Soul from Hell Prov. 23.13 14. And is it not better that your Parents should chastize you for your Faults with a gentle Rod than that God should deliver you up for your Crimes into the hand of the Devil to torture you with a flaming scourge in the dark Mansions of Hell for ever It s surely better for you to ask Forgiveness for your Faults and to amend what ever is amiss than to murmur against them that correct you for your Good It is not against them you murmur but against God who has commanded them to chastise you when you do amiss that you may do so no more And there fore if a Son was stubborn and would neither hearken to the Admonition of his Father or Mother nor be reclaim'd from his ill Courses by their Correction he was by Gods appointment under the Law of Moses to be put to Death For it is said If a man have a stubborn and rebellions Son which will not obey the Voice of his Mother and that when they have chasten'd him will not hearken unto them then shall his Father and his Mother lay hold on him and bring him out unto the Elders of his City and unto the gate of his Place and they shall say unto the Elders of his City This our Son is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our Voice he is a Glutton and a Drunkard And all the men of his City shall stone him with stones that he die so shalt thou put evil away from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear Deut. 21.18 21. Tho' this Law doth not take place amongst us God is no less offended with such stubbornness of Children now than he was then and therefore tho such a one may escape a Temporal Death he cannot escape Eternal Damnation V. You must learn to know God and be careful to serve him Said David to Solomon And thou Solomon my Son Know thou the God of thy Father and serve Him with a perfect Heart and a willing Mind for the LORD searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the Imaginations of the thoughts If thou seek Him He will be sound of thee but if thou forsake Him He will cast thee off for ever 1 Chro. 28.9 10. VI. You must not mock God's Ministers but observe them with due Reverence Remember what befell the Children of Bethel who mocked the Prophet Elisha For As he was going up by the way there came forth little Children out