uncustomarily Put such Books into their hands as are meetest for them Imprint upon their Minds the greatest things not uncertain Opinions for Damning and Saving Points or uncharitableness hatred prejudices as to Parties but such solid substantial Principles as may have the largest greatest influences on the future Conduct and Government of their Lives according to their particular Tempers Dispositions Inclinations Possess their Minds with the fear of God and their Obligations to him as their Creator Redeemer Preserver Governor Speak always before them with great Seriousness Honour Reverence and Praise of the Holy Scriptures Holy Men and Holy things and with displeasure and loathing of every Vice and of vicious Men. So soon as capable bring them to publick Ordinances appointed for begetting and encreasing Grace and to which God hath promised his special Blessing (x) Ps 133.3 Teach them to do rather than to talk of Virtue and Religion put them upon the Practice and Exercise of it that gives the best the truest the perfectest Knowledge of any thing Intice them with Kindness and Rewards the way to Indear your Persons and Instructions Labour to make all sweet easie and pleasant to them Commend allure them into Goodness with all Attractive Encouragements that they may know and love not know and hate Goodness at once by thinking of the Severities wherewith it was accompany'd in their Minority Make Holiness appear to them the most necessary honourable gainful delightful amiable course of life and principal thing Win them to a liking and love of it and keep them from looking upon it as needless dishonourable hurtful or uncomfortable and from such Company as may encline them to think so Inure them to speak always with Honour Respect and Reverence to your selves and others Break them of their own wills Suffer them not to carry themselves Irreverently or Contemptuously towards any Tell them lovingly of the Excellency of Obedience Humility Submission Condescention and how it pleases God and man Let Necessary Correction be according to their Tempers and with Discretion Not in Passion that they may see not your Anger but Reason is the Cause Not so seldom as to make them fearless nor so frequent as to discourage or harden them For offending God rather than your selves Always shew them the Tenderness of your Love and that you do it for their good Take heed of an over-fondness or visible partiality If Nature make a difference it 's natural to help the weakest and a Virtuous carriage to increase Respect 'T is good to incourage Ingenuity but not to provoke Pride or Envy The over-Indulgence of Parents is the refuge of Vanity the bane of Children and provokes God to take them away Give them Countenance and convenient maintenance that they may not be tempted to indirect courses nor your Life be their Burden Keep things in your own power to Reward Duty that they may be beholden to you not you to them yet so gotten that a Blessing not a Curse may go along with them Train them up in a life of Diligence and Labour use them not to Ease and Idleness Chuse them such a Calling and Course of life as tends most to the good of Church and State and their own Souls Place them with those that may not hinder that nor undo your Care of them while with you Look out such a Match for them when you find it needful as is Pious and Prudent rather than Rich. Observe their Inclinations and counsel them by Arguments drawn for their own good rather than by your Authority Affections are rather to be led than driven Forced Marriages and Callings seldom Prosper Let your own Example teach them that holy heavenly blameless Tongue and Life you desire them to practice 't will be hard to perswade them against that their young fancies from drawing after your own Resemblance Great Reverence is due to Children Infancy that understands not words are led by Imitation of those that gave them being and on whom they depend Practice not what 's not Prudent or Expedient before them Such as they see your behaviour is will theirs be behind your back Woe to them who make their Children witnesses of their Impieties Every President of yours is as a Monument and Motive to Posterity In all this use great Care and Diligence Think not that God will make them wise and good because they are yours Young Plants must be often watered Line upon Line Precept upon Precept Good Principles must be Distill'd into these narrow Vessels that cannot take in much at once by degrees as they are capable It 's easie to palliate Nature but it requires long and constant Attendance thoroughly to cure and conquer it Joyn constant earnest Prayer for accompanying your Endeavours with the Divine Assistance and Blessing without which all 's Ineffectual Children of many Prayers seldom miscarry But whatever the success be you will have the Comfort of discharging your Duty Their Prayer MOst gracious and merciful Father who shewest Mercy to Thousands of those that love Thee and keep thy Commandments We give thee hearty Thanks for thy Tender Care of us all our Days and for so early preventing us by thy Grace and Inclining our Hearts unto thy Service Oh go on to be gracious to us and ours Forgive us all our Sins and lay them not to our to their Charge Take them into the Protection and Guidance of the same good Providence which hath been so bountiful to us so watchful over us all our dayes Implant in them all the graces of thy Holy Spirit and accompany all Instructions and Endeavours to that End with thy Blessing Mercifully provide for dispose of and place them in this world so as may further them in and render the ways of Virtue easie and pleasant to them Preserve them from the Dangers Allurements and Evils of the Age. Let them be sanctified even from the Womb and fear thee from their Youth all their Days We recommend them to thy never-failing Mercy and Compassion Be our and their God O let them live in thy sight and us be able at last to say Behold we and the Children God hath graciously given us thorough Jesus Christ to whom with thy Blessed Majesty and Holy Spirit be all Honour Glory and Praise now and for ever Amen Another ALmighty God who hast promised thy Spirit to us and our Children even to as many as the Lord our God shall call deny it not to us and ours Give us grace by good Counsels and Example to lead and bring them up in thy Faith and Fear Make us Spiritual as well as Natural Parents Let us see the Travel of our Souls in them and be satisfied Let them be Born again of Water and of the Spirit Season their Tender Age with thy Grace let it have early possession of them Take them into thy Care Charge and Covenant into the Bosom of thy true Church into the Arms of thy Mercy into a Right of the Promises into the
so much our Deliverance exceeds the which was a Type and faint shadow of thâ— And therefore we being delivered ut of Hands of our Enemies must serve him wâ—â— out fear in Holiness and Righteousness beâ—â— him all the Days of our Life Commandment I. THE First Commandment requireâ— That we have the only true God a none other for our God and that 〈◊〉 worship and glorifie hima ccordingly Tâ—â— we acquaint our selves with him thâ— frequently of him love and highly Esteâ—â— him delight rest satisfied in him oâ—mit all unto him trust and depend uâ— him place our whole Happiness in 〈◊〉 looking upon all things as nothing wâ— out him honour and adore fear and verence him yield all Praises and Thaâ— Obedience and Submission unto him 〈◊〉 and acnoweldge him be zealous for hâ—â— walk humbly with him be carefull in things to please him and sorrowfull wâ—â— in any thing he is by our selves or othâ—â— offended II. The Second forbids us worshipping or giving any Religious Adoration to any Creature in Heaven Earth or Water which particular Places are named besides which there are none other or the true God In or before or by any Representation Likeness or Image who being infinite and invisible is not to be represented by any visible thing (w) Deut. 4.12 15 c. Isa 44.10 c. Rom. 1.23 and enjoyns the serving him by such means and in such a manner as is agreeable to his Nature and Word And this because he is our Soveraign and Proprietor tender of his own Worship will severely punish Idoâ—aters and their Posterity as those that hate him and be mercifull to true Worshippers as those that love him to many Generations III. The Third forbids us thinking or speaking prophanely vainly slightly of him careless irreverent Attendance upon him in his Worship unadvisedly crying O Lord or O God! c. without a due sence of him Cursing our selves or others Swearing by any Creature or by himself except before a Magistrate in weighty and true Cases which cannot otherwise be determined And requires of us a Holy and Reverent Respect unto and Use of his Name Attributes Ordinances Word Works all things whereby he makes himself known And this because the great Soveraign is most highly provoked by Prophaneness and Contempt of him and will deal with those that are guilty of it accordingly IV. The Fourth requires us with those under our Charge to consecrate keep Holy the Sabbath-Day That we bear it in mind to fit our selves for it Rest from those Works which are properly called Ours Set our selves apart for the Duties of it Spend it not in Idleness Worldly Recreations or Imployments except of necessity and mercy but in the publick and private Worship and Service of God in Prayer Hearing Reading the Word Religious Meditation and Discourse accounting the Sabbath the holy of the Lord honourable and honouring him therein (x) Isa 58.13 And this from 1. the Equity of it God's allowing us sâ—â— days of seven for our own warrantable Imployments and reserving but one for Himself 2. His challenging a special Propriety in it setting it apart from common to holy Uses so it 's Theft and Sacriledge to alienate it to any others than he allows 3. His own Example resting on it not from doing good or preserving what he had made but from creating any more diversities or kinds of Creatures And 4. from that Blessing he hath put upon it in advancing preferring inriching that Day above the rest in choosing ordaining setting it apart sanctifying it to be a Time for his Service and a means of Blessing to us in sanctifying it Which is not upon the Seventh but First Day of the Week from the Resurrection of Christ on that Day the Practice of the Apostles Primitive Christians and Church of God in all Ages since together with the Command of our Rulers in Church and State V. The Fifth requireth under the sweet Relation between Parents and Children the preserving the Honour and performing the Duties belonging to every one in their several Places Stations and Relations That Inferiors reverence and obey their Superiors that Superiors carry themselves worthily towards and be carefull of those under them that Equals render due Respect towards each other More particularly as to our Superiors in Family Church and State that we pray for them honour and reverence them chearfully submit to and obey them not envy or grudge the Preheminence God hath given them that we do not neglect or despise them for their wants or weaknesses but rather support assist them cast a covering of love over them stand up and plead for them against those that abuse disparage or speak evil of them To which obedience prosperity and length of days as God sees good is promis'd in the Old Testament and not reversed but rather confirmed in the New (y) Ep. 6.2 3. VI. The Sixth condemneth any hurt done threatned or intended to our own or other's Soul or Body Forbiddeth our being actually guilty of or of whatsoever tendeth to our own or others death Together with all sinfull Anger Strife Malice Hatred Revenge denying necessary means for preservation of life but not lawfull War necessary Defence or the Execution of publick Justice And requireth our Endeavours to â—ender all men's lives as safe and comfortable as we can VII The Seventh forbiddeth all Impurities and fleshly Pollutions in Thought Word and Deed unchastity in Mind Speech Behaviour And withall enjoyneth the shunning and avoiding all Occasions Provocations Temptations thereunto as to our selves or others VIII The Eighth forbiddeth all defrauding over-reaching dishonest Actions or whatsoever Abuses unjustly lessens or hinders our own or others Estate and requireth the lawfull procuring and furthering of the same IX The Ninth forbiddeth all false or evil speaking or surmising lying slandering back-biting dissembling reviling tale-bearing detracting from or prejudicing another's Esteem or good Name And requireth our defending preserving promoting advancing the same X. The Tenth forbiddeth dissatisfaction with our own Estate envying repining at desiring of any thing that is another's And requireth a full Contentment with our Enjoyments furthering of and rejoycing in our Neighbours The Lord's Prayer SO called from the Author our Lord Jesus Christ It 's a compleat Directory and Summary of all Prayer And contains 1 A Preface of Compellation the Person we pray to not Saints or Angels but God described by our common Interest in him our Relation to him his Habitation 2 Six Petitions The three first more especially respect God's Glory Advancement of his Kingdom Obedience to his Will which must be first sought The three last our own and others Temporal and Spiritual good 3 A Doxology or Conclusion for Confirmation containing Praise and Thanksgiving and Arguments for our Petitions for Thine is the King dom which we desire to come thy Power alone can effect these things the grant of them tends unto and will end in thy Glory Our Father Implies We ought to call
it be Good or whether it be Evil. Lead me in thy way sanctifie and support me by thy Holy Spirit now and all my Days Bind up my Soul in the Bundle of Life Redeem me from Sin and Death and the Power of the Grave and bring me to thine everlasting Kingdom Let not any Neglect Temptation Pain or Passion discompose my Thoughts or Duty or hinder me from a well-grounded Confidence in thee Let neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord who hath taught me when I pray to say Our Father c. FINIS ERRATA PAge 75. line 12. for our read your P. 85. l. 1. for hnd r. and. The CONTENTS OF the Scriptures Pag. 1 Of God Pag. 4 Of the Trinity Pag. 6 Of Creation Pag. 7 Of Providence Pag. 8 Of the Angels Pag. 9 Of Man by Creation Pag. 11 Of the Fall of Man Pag. 15 Of Man's Recovery Pag. 16 Of the Sacraments Pag. 19 Of Baptism Pag. 19 Of the Lord's Supper Pag. 173 Of the Creed Pag. 21 Of the Ten Commandments Pag. 28 Of the Lord's Prayer Pag. 35 Husbands and Wives Mutual Duties Pag. 46 Their Prayer Pag. 51 Husbands Duties Pag. 54 Their Prayer Pag. 56 Wives Duties Pag. 59 Their Prayer Pag. 60 Prayer for safe Child-bearing Pag. 62 Thanksgiving after Deliverance Pag. 64 Parents Duties Pag. 65 Their Prayer Pag. 71 Childrens Duties Pag. 74 Their Prayer Pag. 76 Masters Duties Pag. 78 Their Morning and Evening Prayer with their Families Pag. 81 Servants Duties Pag. 88 Their Prayer Pag. 91 Duties of the Aged Pag. 94 Their Prayer Pag. 96 Duties of the Young Pag. 99 Their Prayer Pag. 105 Duties of the Rich. Pag. 109 Their Prayer Pag. 115 Duties of the Poor Pag. 118 Their Prayer Pag. 122 Duties of the Sick Pag. 126 Support for the Sick Pag. 131 Prayers for the Sick Pag. 136 How to spend every Day well Pag. 143 Morning Prayer Pag. 152 Evening Prayer Pag. 154 Grace before and after Meat Pag. 157 How to spend the Lord's Day Pag. 158 Morning Prayer for the Lord's Day Pag. 162 Evening Prayer for the Lord's Day Pag. 166 Directions as to Prayer Pag. 169 Direction as to Reading and Hearing the Word Pag. 171 Directions as to the Lord's Supper Pag. 173 Duties Before At and After Receiving Pag. 174 A Prayer Before or At Receiving Pag. 177 Meditations and Prayers before we receive the Bread Pag. 180 When we receive the Bread Pag. 182 When we receive the Cup. Pag. 184 A Prayer after receiving Pag. 190 How to prepare for a comfortable Death Pag. 193 Prayers for a comfortable Death to be added to our daily Devotions Pag. 216 Some Books Printed for and Sold by W. Freeman at the Bible in Fleetstreet A Manual of Private Devotions and Meditations with Directions for the Sick by the Right Reverend Father in God L. Andrews late Lord Bp. of Winchester in 12o. Price 1 s. 6 d. A View of all Religions in the World with the several Church-Governments from the Creation till these times To which is annexed the Lives Actions and Ends of Certain Notorious Hereticks with their Effigies on Copper Plates The Sixth Edition Enlarged by A. Ross in 8o. Price 6 s. The Old Religion a Treatise wherein is laid down the true State of the Difference betwixt the Reformed and the Roman Church for the Settling of Wavering Minds and a Preservation against Popish Insinuations by the Reverend Father in God Jos Hall late Lord Bp. of Exeter in 12o. Price 1 s. 6 d. Quarles's Emblems the last and best Edition in 12o. Price 5 s. Argalus and Parthenia in 8o. with Cuts The same in 12o. without Cuts Pr. 1 s. Miege's last and best French Grammar in 8o. Price 2 s. Politeupheuia Wits Common-Wealth or a Treasury of Divine Moral Historical and Political Admonitions Similies and Sentences For the Use of Schools Newly revised in 12o. Price 1 s. 6 d. The Manners of the Israelites in Three Parts 1. Of the Patriarchs 2. Of the Israelites coming out of Egypt until the Captivity of Babylon 3. Of the Jews after their Return from the Captivity until the Preaching of the Gospel in 12o. Price 1 s. Thesaurarium Mathematicae or the Treasury of the Mathematicks containing Variety of Usefull Practices in Arithmetick Geometry Trigonometry Astronomy Geography Navigation and Surveying As also the Menfuration of Board Glass Tiling Paving Timber Stone and Irregular Solids Likewise it reacheth the Art of Gauging Dialling Fortification and Gunnery with several Math. Sculptures on Copper Plates by J. Taylor Gent. The Elements of Euclid explain'd in a New but most easie Method Together with the Use of every Proposition through all Parts of the Mathematicks written in French by that Excellent Mathematician F. C. F. Milliet de Chales of the Society of Jesus now made English in 8o. Price 4 s. Dr. Harvey's Treatise of the Small Pox and Measles in 8o. Price 1s 6d The Art of Preserving and Restoring Health Explaining the Nature and Causes of the Distempers that afflict Mankind Also shewing that every Man is or may be his own best Physician To which is added a Treatise of the most simple and effectual Remedies for the Diseases of Men and Women Written in French by M. Flamaud M. D. faithfully Translated in to English A Compleat Body of Chirurgical Operations containing the whole Practice of Surgery with Observations and Remarks on each Case Illustrated with Copper Plates explaining the several Bandages Sutures and divers usefull Instruments by M. de la Vauguion M. D. and Intendant of the Royal Hospitals about Paris faithfully done into English in 8o. Price 6 s. A New Voyage to Italy with a Description of the Chief Towns Churches Tombs Libraries Palaces Statues and Antiquities of that Country together with the Usefull Instructions for those who shall Travel thither by Maximilion Misson Gent. in 2 Vol. 8o. Of Wisdom three Books Written Originally in French by the Sieur de Charron made English by G. Stanhope D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty in 2 Vol. 8o. Price 12 s. The Roman History by Laurence Echard A. M. of Christ College in Cambridge in 2 Vol 8o. Price 11 s. Erasmi Colloquia in 8o. Price 2 s. 6 d. Cambridge Phrases in 8o. Price 5 s. A Compleat Guide for Justices of Peace In two Parts the First containing the Common and Statute Laws relating to the Office of a Justice of the Peace The Second consisting of the most Authentick and Usefull Presidents which do properly concern the same by J. Bond of Greys-Inn Esq The Second Edition much enlarged and continued down in 8o. Price 6 s.
upon him as Children on a Father 1 With Filial Affections of Reverence Love Submission Gratitude dependance on his All-sufficiency and willingness to help Fatherly Goodness and Compassion and our Interest therein towards us that he loves us as his Children who is more ready to hear us than any Earthly Parent their dearest Off-spring (z) Lu. 11.13 and persorms all the parts of a Father in a higher and more excellent Degree as far as Heaven is above Earth 2 With an Universal Charity for others He being a common Father by Creation Regeneration Provision to all his Children That they all pray for us and that it 's our bounden Duty to pray for them as well as for our selves As the word Our minds us of that Relation between us and them so Father of that Relation between him and us Both express our Faith and total plenary Reliance on him as ours and without whom we can hope for nothing Which art in Heaven Not that he is excluded from Earth or included in Heaven or any place who filleth all (a) Jer. 23.24 whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain (b) 1 King 8 27. But there 1 is his Throne (c) Isa 66.1 where he Rules and Over-rules all things in Heaven and Earth and from thence sends down his Mercies and Judgments 2. He more eminently manifests and communicates his Love Goodness and Glory So it teaches us to draw near unto him with 1 all Holy Reverence and Humility because of his excellent Majesty so high above us we wretched Creatures being as Worms crawling upon the Earth and he sitting in great Majesty in the highest Heavens (d) Eccl. 5.2 2 Holy Confidence he being both ready and able to do all things whatsoever he will for us (e) Ps 115.3 3 Zeal and Fervency with our Hearts and our Hands lifted up unto God in the Heavens (f) La. 3.41 Hallowed be thy Name Here acknowledging the inability and indisposition that is in us and all Men to honour God aright we pray that God would Glorifie and Magnifie himself in the World by directing and disposing all things for his own Glory and remove whatsoever hinders it That as he is glorious in himself he may be declared known and owned so by all Men. Incline and inable us and all Men to acknowledge and highly esteem him his Attributes Ordinances Word and Works and to glorifie him in Thought Word and Deed by confessing and forsaking our Sins which rob him of his Glory by admiring and adoring him in his glorious Perfections by believing loving obeying his Word attending on him in his Ordinances magnifying him in his Works using his Creatures for his Glory sincere Endeavours to promote it preferring it before our own Interest Thy Kingdom come By Kingdom is meant not so much that Universal Soveraignty which as Creator he exercises over all his Creatures disposing them all to their proper Ends for his own Glory as King of Nations (g) Ps 95.3 as his special governing ruling his Church and all things for the good of it as King of Saints (h) Re. 15.3 so that acknowledging our selves and all Mankind to be by Nature under the Dominion of Sin and Satan we here Pray that his Kingdom 1 of Power and Providence may be manifested and made apparent that all things are guided by him That he would govern all Creatures both in the Natural course of things and in the Civil and Domestical Government of Men as may best serve his own Glory and his Churche's good 2 Of Grace may be erected the exercise of his Spiritual Regal Power in our Hearts advanced and enlarged the Power of Sin whereby Satan hath Dominion may be subdued and destroyed in us and others all the world over That he would set up his Throne Reign in our Hearts bring us into intire Allegiance unto himself 3 Of Glory may be hast'ned when all his Subjects shall be Crowned all his and their Enemies vanquished Thy Will be done Here acknowledging our inability and unwillingness to know and do his Will our proneness to repine and murmur against it we Pray as to the will of his 1 Providence or that which he doth with us and to us that our selves and others may patiently submit to it chearfully comply with it and thankfully accept of it 2 Precept or that which he requires of us that our selves and others may have all blindness weakness indisposedness and perversness taken away and may be inclin'd inabled and made willing to know and understand obey and do it on Earth as it is in Heaven by Saints and Angels voluntarily and chearfully without Constraint or Repugnancy readily and speedily without delay sincerely without Hypocrisie Zealously without Indifferency Impartially without Reservation Constantly without Intermission Give us this Day our daily Bread Wherein we acknowledge 1 We have forfeited our Right unto and deserve not the least Crum of Bread nor can procure it or be refreshed by it without him whatsoever or whosoever be the Instruments to convey it he gives it us and blesses it to us else it becomes unholy polluted Bread hurtful to us 2 Our daily dependance on his fatherly Care and Providence without being over-solicitous for to morrow or superfluities desiring for our selves and others only a daily Allowance of necessaries agreeable to our nature charge and station as he sees meet for us with our purpose every day in the use of Lawful means and by Thankfulness for what we have commiting our ways to him to seek at his Hands that we may enjoy them as gifts of his Fatherly love a sanctified use of and Contentment with our Allowance without Envying others Plenty seeing God gives to whom and what he will 3 That we must possess and use every Creature as from God and to him Else our own Prayers will condemn us if we be beholden to Satan any unlawful means for Bread or use the good things we ask against the Giver of them 4 That God's Children ought not to desire other Mens Bread That none Eat their own Bread but They our Bread is that which comes to us by his Blessing on our Honest Endeavours so that God nor Man can Implead us for it That 's woful Bread which comes not from Him And forgive us our Trespasses We Here Pray That God for his Mercy for his Son's sake would Pardon all our Sins and afford us the Conditions Evidences and Effects of it i.e. Faith and Repentance and keep us from whatsoever may obstruct the same As we forgive them that Trespass against us Which is 1 A prevalent Argument to press him to Pardon us we plead notfrom Merit but from the Model of God's Mercy and Grace in us which being Infinitely Inferiour to that in him yet disposing us to forgive may both move his Compassion towards us and assure us of it If we wretched Creatures can forgive others much more will the Father of Mercies forgive us 2 A
Burdensom Prepare for the worst If it come the labour 's well bestow'd if not well lost Think not every day will be a wedding-day In Matrimony God marries Comforts and Crosses together as well as Man and Wife such shall have trouble in the flesh (o) 1 Cor. 7.28 Study to please not to be pleased then all the fault you find will be with your selves Let all your strife be which shall love and please God and one another most and upon any difference who shall first seek for Reconciliation Construe words and Actions in the best sence Stifle little things Abstain from whatsoever is found contrary to each other A Prudent observation of each others Tempers and forbearance of what may provoke will prevent many fallings out Think not much less do any thing that may tend to lessen but whatsoever may knit what God hath Tied with his own Hand If Passion arise in one let the other be silent If Satan hath sown Discord sleep not until the Tares be plucked up Two Cholerick Persons living together many years were never heard to fall out because said one of them being asked when one was angry t'other had the wisdom to forbear Cross not each other in the spring Tide of Passion but stay till ebbing Water then mildly argue it and that not so much to condemn one another as to acquit your self we are more Tractable in Cold than Hot Blood it portends Ill luck when two Fire-Balls meet Be helpfull to each other's Health Comfort and Advantage as to your Bodies Estate good Names Souls Bear one anothers Burdens Personal and Domestical Discover not but bear with one anothers Infirmities yet so as to quicken one anothers Graces and not to suffer Sin upon you Share in each others Joys and Sorrows Jointly endeavour to make the Weight of the Family the more tolerable the Load is lightned by carrying it evenly equally Speak one to not one of another It ought to be so amongst Christians much more York-fellows Debate it between your selves not before your Families or Strangers 'T is a lessening of your selves when standers-by take notice of your Grievances Dissents between Man and Wife are uncomely Differences intolerable I would suffer much before I would make my Complaint to another They are ill Birds that defile their own Nests In case of Correction or Rebuking any of the Family though there be an Errour in the Application let not one Yoke fellow contradict the other before the offending Party but debate the Mistake when you are alone least you abate due Fear and Reverence and teach others to despise your Discipline and your selves 'T is not safe for one Yoke-fellow to receive an Appeal from any of the Family nor to take the Rod out of the other's hand Improve your Conjugal Converse for Spiritual Ends. Let not the Body Rob the Soul nor the Elder serve the Younger Redeem the Time that you may bless God you ever met and not as too many do Curse one another for silently advancing each others Ruine So when the Land-flood of youthfull violent Affections is dried up the Fountain of Spiritual Love will still run with a more sober and moderate but more constant and lasting stream Season your Natural Society with Spiritual Communion in secret serving God and you 'll avoid the Surfeit of Society which choaketh Love Reckon your selves one anothers more than your own and the Lord 's more than one anothers Let your Fellowship together be such as you both in it may have Fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ whose Image and Superscription this Relation bears Be holy in all manner of Conversation Possess your Vessels in Sanctification and Honour Defile not the Marriage-Bed Be not drunk with your own Wine All things are sanctified by the Word and Prayer Be much in Prayer for and with one another you will then blame your selves not one another and be ashamed to jar considering you must shame your selves before God for it As to Children pray not only for due Parts Proportion and safe Delivery but Children sanctified that your Families may be the Enlargement of Christ's Kingdom and of the Houshold of Faith As God encreases your Relations enlarge your Requests for every one in particular Those Petitions will not suffice when you are many that did when you were one Make God's House as yours and yours as God's Join with Elkanah and Hannah in giving up your Children to God's Service and in going together to sacrifice (p) 1 Sa. 1.21.28 Account that the greatest Riches not which you lay up for your selves or yours but out for God He is mercifull and lendeth and his Seed is Blessed (q) Ps 37.26 Their Prayer O Thou that art the great Creator and wise Disposer of us and all things in Heaven and Earth who hast ordained Marriage for our good and made us two one Flesh We give thee all humble and hearty Thanks for preserving us in our single State so innocent and chast so free from Shame and Reproach For conducting us through the Temptations of this Life so mercifully so wisely for keeping us from the effects of thy Wrath and our own Infirmities O forgive whatsoever might cause thee to Imbitter this state unto us and accept us in the Beloved Indue us with a Spirit of Love of Kindness of Condescension and prevent whatsoever might Disturb our Happy Union Let our chief love and delight be grounded upon the Hopes we have of being Heirs together of the grace of Life Let us walk Hand in Hand to our Father's House in a chearful and faithful discharge of our respective Duties to each other and those Committed to us and be still provoking one another to Love and to good Works That after Death which shall e're long separate us for a little while we may with Comfort meet together where they neither Marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels perpetually praising thee for all the Instances of thy Kindness and Endless Love Through Jesus Christ to whom with thy Blessed Majesty and Holy Spirit be all Honour Glory and Praise now and evermore Amen Another WE come unto thee most gracious God and merciful Father who in Infinite Wisdom and Goodness hast brought and united us together and do prostrate our Souls before thee in all Humility under a deep sense of our unworthiness and unbecoming Demeanure in thy sight O Pardon it unto us that we have liv'd no more to the great Ends of our coming into the World and into this state which thou Institutedst in Innocency Let it not be a state of Temptation or Sorrow by occasion of our Sins and Infirmities but of Holiness and Comfort as thou intendedst it to all that love and fear Thee Allay in us all sensual Bruitish love Purifie and sanctifie our Affections that we may not Dishonour or Pollute the Bed thou hast called Undefiled But use it so as Carnal Lust may be slacked and subdued not provoked
Service of Christ into the Communion of Saints Keep them from the Loss or Injury of any Sence or Member from every sad Accident from Evil Temptations or Examples prevailing upon them from being useless unprofitable or vitious that they prove not a Curse but a Blessing and Comfort to us and others and attain what thou hast promised to those that Honour and Obey thee and their Parents and not provoke thee to visit the Iniquity of their Fathers upon them Give us grace to carry our selves so as we may be able with Confidence so leave our Fatherless Children with thee and bid them trust in Thee O thou that hast sent forth thine Angels for Ministring Spirits to the Heirs of Salvation give them Charge over us and them for Preservation and Safety thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Childrens Duties LOve and Honour your Parents in your Thoughts Speeches and Behaviour be they never so mean in the World or Understanding though you cannot as Rich Wise or Religious you must as Parents Think not contemptuously of them speak not dishonourably irreverently saucily to them or of them Deride not their failings or miscarriages but conceal lament cover them Bear with their Infirmities of Mind and Body when old Age makes them Troublesome to others let them not be so to you Carefully lay up all their wholsome Precepts Imitate them in all that 's good while they live and when they are dead Remember what Grief of Mind your Miscarriages will be to them and how much your Happiness will be theirs Make not their lives miserable by undoing your selves Bear with them when froward and twice Children as they did with you when you were theirs Murmur not but willingly and thankfully be instructed and reprehended by them Obey them in all lawfull things Chearfully submit to any labour they injoyn you or Correction they lay upon you Be content with their Allowance and Provision for you and disposal of you Marry not without their Consent Children are so much their Parents Goods and Possessions that they cannot without a kind of Theft give away themselves without their Approbation that have a Right in them If they be in want relieve and maintain them and that not as Servants or Inferiours but Superiours See they fare as well or better than our selves Though you got not your Riches by them you can never requite them for what you have received of them Pray and do what in you lies for their Health and Life Peace and Comfort Remember how much you owe them for all their Cares and Fears their Cost for you and pains with you Be far from those who imbrue their Souls in bloody Wishes for their Parent 's Death Though they wish them in Heaven it 's not so much that they may have Ease and Rest at their Journey 's End as because they must needs take Death in the way If long Life be promised as a Reward for honouring Parents such may expect untimely Death as a Punishment on the contrary Reverence Kindness and loving Respects to them never went unrecompensed even in this Life Their Prayer MOst Merciful and Heavenly Father who Invitest little Children to come unto Thee and lovest those that do O take me into the Arms of thy Mercy and Bless me who am dedicated to thee in Baptism Make me always mindful of my Vow and Promise to forsake the Devil and all his works to believe in thee and to serve thee to be Dutiful Obedient and Thankful to my Parents and Instructers Humble Reverent and Meek to my Superiors gentle sober and Temperate all my Dayes Keep and defend me from all Evil lead me into all Good Bless me and my Parents O my Heavenly Father The longer I live the better let me be Let me increase in Wisdom and Stature and favour with thee and men to the Glory of thy great Name the Delight of my Relations my own Happiness in this World and that which is to come thorough Jesus Christ in whose Holy Name and Words I further Pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Another MOst Gracious and Merciful Father who madest preservest and providest all Necessaries for me Pardon whatever I have done amiss and grant I may do so no more Give me Grace to obey Thee and my Parents to be helpful and a Comfort to them Keep me from slighting of them Irreverence Undutifulness Disobedience to them Let me never forget or slightly Remember my many Bonds and Obligations of Duty Obedience and Thankfulness to them their Sorrows Pains and Care for me that I may never make their Hearts sad or bring down their grey hairs with Sorrow to the Grave Increase the Number of their Dayes and thy Graces in them to thy Glory in their Generation Watch over us for good all our Dayes through Jesus Christ who hath Taught me when I Pray to say Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Masters Duties LEt your first Care be to admit none into your Service but such as will serve God with you (y) Ps 101.4 c. A wicked Person is a dangerous Infection in a Family Disobedience is from Irreligion There can be no true Fidelity and Subjection but out of Conscience Keep your Servants from Evil Company and from being Temptations to one another Watch over them for their good Encourage the Obedient Rebuke convince admonish the Contrary so as their own Consciences may Condemn them without Bitterness Reviling Sharpness which oftner hardens than Reforms Defend and Protect them in doing their Duty Bear them not out in wronging any but right them when they are wronged Refuse not their just Apologies Hearken to and Redress their Grievances (z) Job 31.13 Deny not necessary wholsom sufficient Food and Rayment if the Contract be so Physick Lodging Wages Think not much of maintaining them when by Providence disabled from serving you Oppress them not with too much Labour Let your Commands be lawful feasable necessary convenient that they may Obey with chearfulness Your Reproofs and Admonitions short plain material prudent sober private seasonable familiar with good Advice according to their different Tempers when it 's most like to do good and to convince them of it with such winning Mildness and Concern as they may see you 're more ingag'd for their welfare than themselves Rule with Wisdom and Discretion Love Gentleness Tenderness not Rigour and Severity Looking on them not as Slaves but fellow Pilgrims fellow-Servants fellow-Christians and Brethren (a) Phil. 1. Knowing you have also a Master in Heaven (b) Ep. 6.9 Col. 4.1 An austere Master makes Eye-Servants his Person hated his Business neglected No Servant will do his Duty except out of Conscience or Love to his Master Fairness sweetens Advice and purchases Love without which there can be no true Fidelity and Respect Constraint is for Extremity when all other ways fail Let your Corrections be prudent moderate unpassionate joyn'd with Instruction proportionable to the Person 's
is disabled from all other things is fit to Compleat that There 's little support and less satisfaction in declining years besides a sober Reflection on our former Innocency our leaving Sin when so much Temptation and vigour to Commit it Nothing can sweeten that Sower and Crabbed Age like the savour of a past good Life That Religion hath been the Imployment that God hath had the Strength and Affections of our first and best Age. As Virtue and Goodness is the Excellency of Youth so is it the Comfort and Crown of grey Hairs which are only Honourable and Comfortable when found in the way of Righteousness Be not deceived God is not mocked as a man Sows that shall he also Reap for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting (k) Gal. 6.7 8. Their Prayer ALmighty and most merciful Father the great Creator of all things and Judge of all Men and of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity with Approbation I am altogether unworthy to speak unto thee or to receive any good from thee yet thou maintainest and preservest me and affordest me means of being Eternally Happy with thee O Pardon all my Sins for thy Mercy sake for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake A new Heart and a new Spirit do thou give me that I may love and delight in that which is Good and hate that which is Evil and cleanse my ways by taking heed thereto according to thy Word Let me make that my Rule and Counsellor Settle in me a constant Desire and Endeavour to fear serve and remember thee my Creator in the days of my youth to give thee the chief and strength of my Time and Affections Root out of my Soul all Pride and Haughtiness stubbornness wantonness and uncleanness Plant in me Reverence and Obedience to those that in Age or Authority are before or above me Give me a good understanding to keep thy Commandments at all times even unto the end Prepare me for every Condition for whatsoever thou hast designed for me and give me Grace to behave my self well-pleasing in thy sight in every Station and Relation Let me run with Patience and Chearfulness the Race that is set before me without being dismay'd or drawn aside from thee by whatsoever Temptations or Discouragements I shall meet with in thy Service looking unto Jesus who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the Shame and is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on High in whose Holy Name and Words I further Pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Another O Thou that art the Author of my Being and the Foundation of my Happiness by whom I am Maintained and Preserved and without whom I am unable to Continue a moment alive in the Land of the living I desire to humble and loath my self in thy Presence for the degeneracy of my Nature the vileness of my Heart and sinfulness of my Life that I have so much forgotten and neglected thee and my Duty to thee and provoked thee to forsake me and to make me Eternally miserable It 's of thy Infinite mercy I am not consumed that as yet I have time and space to make my Peace with thee O Pardon me and be reconciled unto me in and thorough my Lord and Saviour and give me Grace to spend the Remainder of my days in thy Fear to thy Glory Make me more and more sensible of the shortness and uncertainty of this Life and of the Eternity of the next that e're long thou wilt bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be Good or whether it be Evil. Let the Consideration thereof stir me up not to delay but to make hast to keep thy Testimonies to be Religious to purpose to serve thee in good Earnest not to live as most do but as thou requirest and obligest me to do and as e're long I shall wish I had done Let me not in a short life make way for Eternal misery but make it my Business to prepare my self to be happy for ever with thee that when so many Millions of careless Souls shall stand Trembling before the Judge of all the World I may be found in the number of those to whom he shall say Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World in whose Holy Name and Words I further Pray unto thee saying Our Father which art c. Duties of the Rich. DErive your Pedegrees and Dignities higher than Adam from Heaven The Body of Nobility consists in Blood the Soul in the Eminency of Virtue your Titles are vain if in that Inferiour to others Value not Rate not your selves by what God gives to his foes and denies his chiefest favourites the root and occasion of all our Miseries Esteem a great Estate less than a good Heart to use it and to be God's Servants a greater Honour than to have Potentates serve you Look on Prosperity as a Motive Engagement and Encouragement to Piety not a Privilege of loosness to satisfie Lust or display Vanity but of being better because more observ'd and your offences Exemplary You cannot be good or bad alone Hate Sin though grown into Credit and Fashion Cobwebs are never the more esteemed that grow over a Chair of State Beware of Pride Sloath Idleness fulness of Bread Time-wasting Sports and Recreations Curiosity Wantonness Tyranny and Oppression Let Lust fare never the better for all your Riches you are called to Self-denial Mortification Fasting and humbling your selves as well as the meanest Labour to see God's special love in Common Mercies often look up to and think of him with Praise and Thankfulness as the Author and Donor of all the goods you enjoy wean your Hearts from them be sensible of their short Continuance and secure to your selves true spiritual durable Riches Live as Dying Men with your Graves and Windingsheet always in your Eye Frequent the Indigent Sick and Dying and consider how insignificant the world is to them and will be to you Thoroughly understand the Dangers Temptations and snares of Riches and how much you have to answer for That you are but Stewards not Owners accountable for all your Comings in and Layings out Let your fruitfulness to God and the Publick be proportionable to your Possessions Do as much more good than others as you are better furnished Let your Servants be more religiously Instructed and Governed and have more time for serving God and your selves more Imploy'd therein than those that work for their daily Bread Be Sober and Temperate in using your Estates Invade not the right of the Poor suffer not Riot and Covetousness to feed upon their Portion Cut off all superfluous and exorbitant Expences that the stream of Charity may run the fuller into that one Channel the Providence of God hath cut out for it
all their lives He assures us while we are feeding the meanest of his Brethren as such we have Himself our Guest are Treating Him whilst we Relieve the real Sufferer that asks it in his Name And who would not gladly pare off all the Superfluities of life that he might always have ready an Entertainment for so great a Personage as Him when he Craves an Alms If we have been kind compassionate and merciful to others we have the greater ground to hope we shall find him so to us who that he may Encourage us to Imitate his Love and Goodness Proportions his Dealings to us to ours with others forgive and ye shall be forgiven give and it shall be given unto you (m) Mar. 11.25.26 Luke 6.37 None have more reason to dread his Justice and Severity than those that shut up their Bowels of Compassion towards their Brethren for He shall have Judgment without Mercy that hath shewed no mercy (n) Jam. 2.13 I do not Remember saith St. Jerom to have read that ever any Charitâ—ble Person dy'd an Evil Death God will notreject him in his greatest Needs in his passionate Requests for God is Love and every degree of Charity that dwells in us is a participation of his Nature And therefore when on our Death-Bed we have many things to trouble us and our Friends have forsaken us or prove miserable Comforters to us we may call to mind the Alms we have given the Injuries we have forgiven how we have sought objects for our Charity imbraced and followed Peace with all Men and with the Eye of Faith look up to God coming to pronounce the last Sentence according to his mercy and ours I have been saith Cyrus the Persian on his Death-Bed a lover of Mankind and a friend and merciful and now I expect to Communicate in that great kindness which he shews that is the great God and Father of Men and Mercies IV. Die daily towards all Carnal Comforts and Delights disuse disingage your self from them deny your self in them wean your self from the World let your Heart grow strange unto it get right Apprehensions of it by diminishing its seeming Excellencies and considering its real Inconveniences Judge not of it by that Repute and Entertainment it finds amongst Men but ill it doth them how defiling dangerous unsutable unsatisfying commonly given to the worst transitory unusefull in our greatest Need. Present the Soul with that Bill of Divorce which Death will shortly give to all your indearing Enjoyments The serious thoughts of which will presently sweep down all Cob-web Designs and false Felicities precent Deceit and every thing which breeds the worm of Conscience Fix your Residence above you will then behold this Mole-hill of Ants this World's bustle and grandieur vanish and disappear Its Castles and Mountains become Warts and all the Provinces of it for which men swell and fight as the Cabins of an Honey-comb And it s Idoliz'd Silver and Gold Earth and useless Mettle uncurrent Coin in the other World where nothing passes but true Goodness When the Scepter and the Spade shall have one common Grave and Royal Dust be blended with the Beggar 's Ashes and the Righteous and the Wicked shall be separated by a vast Gulph and an amazing Difference Take it but for your Pilgrimage your passage to Life be as indifferent in these things as Travellers in the Affairs of a Foreign Countrey Receive with thankfulness what comes with a fair Providence upon Honest Endeavours but let your mind be upon your Home Contentedly suffer Losses and Inconveniences in your way to it He that hath unfeignedly made Heaven his End will readily pass to it on the hardest Terms and Comfortably think of laying down his Head in the Earth for every man is willing to obtain his End to receive his Reward to enter upon his Estate 'T is much for the sake of the Flesh that most Perish that Death is so unwelcom to us O could we subdue that and live above its Pleasures and Desires we should easily bear its Dissolution a Picture that hangs loose on the wall is easily taken down and removed but with much â—ending if fastned to it V. Live so as you may be always Ready to give an Account Be sure you be sincere was the dying Advice of my dear departed Friend E.G. Perform every Duty with all your might and as if it were your last Do every thing with Respect to an after Reckoning will this bear the Tryal turn to a good account at the great Day Would I do thus were I now going to stand before Christ's Tribunal The Consequences of all our Actions extends as far as another World The Apostle seems to be startled at such like Thoughts seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness (o) 2 Pet. 3.11.14 As if all were little enough to qualifie us for a Happy Eternity Have a special Regard to the Duties of your particular Calling be Diligent and Honest in it God judges of men by the general course and tenor of their lives rather than by any single or extraordinary Action which is best seen by their demeanour in that place and station his Providence hath set them in Take Heed of offering violence to your Conscience of doing any thing you know to be a Sin or neglecting any thing you know to be a necessary Duty for that 's to Sin deliberately to provoke God to give you up to hardness of Heart to withdraw his Grace and Spirit from you Have always a clear unspotted Conscience void of offence Behold I come as a Thief Blessed is He that watcheth and keepeth his Garments (p) Rev. 16.15 Beware of those things that will fright you in the Night of doing any thing now which will make Conscience flash in your face another day and reproach you with the Remembrance of what you was told would be bitterness in the latter End when no Sanctuary to shelter no Cordial to revive no bosom Friend to stand by and hearten you Then Spots will appear in their Breadth and Blackness Sin and Wrath another thing than in your Health and Ease Be not wicked in thy own sight was the good Counsel of an old Rabby Reverence thy self Do nothing but what you can review with Quiet and Content Conscience is a tender thing that always writes tho' it doth not speak and what we account small in our Health may make a dying Bed very uneasie to us Innumerable Actions which we thought innocent may appear to be Sin and what we made light of infinitely Evil. So black and deformed is that Shape wherein Sinners appear unto themselves upon a Review of their past Crimes that then they abhor their own Image much more those Sins that have deformed them Conscience speaks loudest when men grow speechless Whilst all seems calm and quiet without and their Flatterers fawn upon them their minds