even to abstain from what is Physically as well as Morally Evil but Even our allowed and warrantable Enjoyments must like Physick be taken moderately and with caution lest our Remedy prove our Poyson He that thinks because he is in lawful Circumstances he may give his Lusts their full Swing deceives himself for that in Marriage a Man may be guilty of Sensuality is past dispute 'T is unquestionably true that whoever transgresseth the Principal end of Marriage viz. of Glorifying God and subservient thereto those of Propagating our kind of maintaining Mutual Society and avoiding of Unlawful Lusts has passed the boundaries of Nature Reason and Religion all at once In the entring upon such a Sacred Rite there are many things to be observed and seriously considered both by the betrothed Parties and their Friends in order to have the Marriage successfull and made in Heaven first before the striking of Hands and the Plighting of Troths here on Earth and for want of the due Consideration whereof arises so many Unhappy Matches Family Disturbances and Civil Broils so frequent Separations from and Pollutions of the Conjugal Bed which every day happen afresh in the World I shall but just touch upon these Necessary Precautions and so conclude this particular of Uncleanness As for you who have Adult Children of your own or else are Guardians to such Beware of debarring them from entring into the state of Matrimony when either their Years their Inclinations their Affections and their other Circumstances require the same Consult your Pupils in all respects and be not more than prudently urgent in disswading them from their own or in perswading them into an Approbation of your Choice In disposing of them have an Eye more upon their Temporal Happiness and their Eternal Good than upon the Flattering Prospect of their being Noble Rich or Great Covet not to Marry your Sons or Daughters or any other Relations committed to your Trust into Families of a Higher Rank than your selves and despise not to Match them with those of a Degree lower than you especially where the Virtue and Generosity of the person can toss your lighter Scale of Birth and Fortune up to the Beam As for the Young parties I desire they would not take ill the following Advice before they put on the Wedding Suit which will not cost them so much and perhaps do them more Service Be sure then to avoid all Hasty sudden and Unpremeditated fits of Passion Love not for Lusts sake and Idolize none for their Beauty Wit Strength and Fortune lest your Affection be no more than Skin-deep call in Wiser Heads to advise in so Weighty a Cause and if your Modesty or any other reason will not admit you to ask your Friends advice therein yet be pleased to think God worthy to be of your Council In a word let no Object Charm you but what has the Lineaments of Virtue and the Endowments of a Noble Mind which with or without the outward Qualifications are of force only to Captivate our Souls Hence it is that we perceive the Love grounded upon these External Objects only to be short-liv'd and Transient soon Hot and soon Cold lasting no longer than the Object appears to be Beautiful Strong Witty and Wealthy and growing Nauseous when Impotency Wither'd Age or Poverty over-takes them and often before whilst the more substantial Love founded upon and raised by the inward Ornament of the Mind gives Life to the Love of outward and maintains its own Flame within when all the Fuel administred from without is taken away This Noble Intellectual Love Unites and Consolidates the Parties tho' in Rags and Poverty tho' in Gray-Hairs and Wrinkles and breaths after a Union beyond this and the Grave This is that Love we should be all inflamed with and desire to Contract with each other not because we have Painted Faces and a handsomer piece of Clay for our Share than others are Moulded into or because we have more of Giddy Fortunes Favours but because of those inward Ornaments of Piety and Devotion of Sobriety and Temperance of Modesty and Humility of Chastity and Charity of Meekness and Affability which set off the subject in which they are inherent with such invincible and irresistible Charms as no being above a Brute can forbear to be inamoured with Of the Profanation of the Lord's Day CHAP. IV. The Reasons of keeping Holy the first Day of the Week instead of the Seventh The Lord's Day How and by whom profaned viz. I. By neglecting the Publick Ordinances of the Church II. The Private Duties of the Family III. By Exercising our ordinary Callings thereon whether by our selves our Servants or our Beasts IV. By publickly Exposing to Sale An Objection answered and what Works are Lawful to be done V. By works of the Flesh such as 1. Tipling 2. Feasting 3. Gaming 4. Dancing and Singing 5. Country Revellings and Riots And earnest Expostulation and Exhortation for Celebrating the Lord's Day Rules for it viz. 1. Preparation on the Eve 2. Frequenting the Publick Ordinances of the Church 3. Family Duties Motives thereto drawn from the benefits of observing it and the Mischiefs of Profaning it both to Private Persons and to the Publick THat to serve the Invisible God by whom we Live Move and have our Being in the whole course of our Lives is a main End for which we were Created That every Day and Hour should be Holy unto the Lord that we should have the Fear of Him always before our Eyes That every Moment of our time is truely His is indisputable But forasmuch as we are but Men in a little lower degree then those Blessed Spirits whose task and Happiness it is to be employed continually in Contemplating Adoring and Praising their great Creator and whereas since the Fall we are placed in such circumstances as require the sweat of our Brows and the Expence of a great part of our time in the procuring the Necessaries of this Life we cannot so readily bestow all our hours on Religious Exercises Nor doth God require we should but dispenses with the greatest part of our Lives and only appoints a seventh part of the whole for the more Solemn and Immediate Acts of Divine Worship and is pleased so to Order it that every Action in our Ordinary Callings may be such as may Glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Our Fields and Gardens Our Shops and Studies Our Dining-Rooms and Closets may be all Sanctified by a Religious and Holy Life Sobriety and Modesty Temperance and Moderation may make our very Diversions and Recreations Holy But then we are not to stick here our walking with God in the Private Duties of our several stations Exempts us not from the Publick Adoration of Him in the Congregation of the Faithful For as the Lord of Hosts has been nearly conceâ—ned in appointing the Persons by Whom the Manner How and the Place Where so has he shewed no less Regard in assigning the Time When
that none be punished but what are convicted within the space of six months after the Offence is committed This Statute made perpetual 21 Jac. 1. Cap. 7. Against the Prophanation of the Lords-Day commonly called Sunday 29 Car. 2. ALL Laws in force concerning the Observation of the Lord's Day are to be put in execution This day is by every one 1 Will. and Mary to be sanctified and kept holy and all Persons must be careful herein to exercise themselves in the Duties of Piety and true Religion publickly and every one on this day not having a reasonable Excuse must diligently resort to some publick place where the service of God is exercised or must be present at some other place allowed of by Law in the Practice of some Religious Duty either of Prayer Preaching Reading or Expounding of the Scriptures or Conference upon the same as also privately Such as repair not to Church c. on Sundays and Holy-days one Witness Twelve Pence for every default to be levied by destress or to be committed to some Prison until the same be paid 1 Eliz. 23 Eliz. 3 Jac. Cap. 1. 19 Eliz. Cap. 1. Absenting for a Month If a twelve month or more twenty pounds per month and forfeiture of two parts in three of their Estates If any come not to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper once a year Their Names and Surnames to be presented Forty Shillings reward to such as present them 3 Jac. Cap. 4. None shall speak or do any thing in Contempt of the most Holy Sacrament By Oath of two lawful Witnesses by three Iustices Quorum un to be bound over and prosecuted in Sessions 1 Ed. 6. Cap. 1. Whosoever shall disturb any Preacher allowed in his open Sermon or Collation or be procuring or abetting thereunto or shall rescue c. any Offender c. Accusation must by two Witnesses or Confession To be committed by any Iustice of the County to safe Custody and within six days the said committing Iustice with one other Iustice if the Offender upon examination shall be found Guilty shall commit him to Goal without Bail c. for three Months and farther to the next Quarter Sessions 1 M. Cap. 3. Such as meet or assemble out of their own Parish upon the Lord's Day for any Sports or Pastimes whatsoever or such as shal use any unlawful Exercise or Pastime in their own Parish upon the Lord's day three shillings and four pence to the Poor where c. to be levied by distress and sale restoring the Overplus c. and for want of distress to be sent to the Stocks for three hours but they must be questioned within a month 1 Car. Cap. 1. 3 Car. Cap. 4. If any Carrier Waggoner c. with Horse Wain or Cart or Drover with Cattle shall travel upon the Lord's Day by themselves or any other for them twenty shillings for every offence to be levied by distress and sale to the use of the poor 3 Car. Cap. 1. If any Butcher or any other for him shall kill or sell any Victuals upon the Sunday one Witness view or Confession He shall forfeit six shillings and eight pence if questioned within six months to be levied c. or may be sued for in Sessions c. 3 Car. Cap. 1. If any Shoe-maker shall go with intent to sell any Boots Shoes c. on the Sunday He shall forfeit such Goods and three shillings and four pence for every pair 1 Jac. Cap. 22. If any person of the age of fourteen shall on the Lord's Day or any part thereof do any worldly labour c. except works of Nececessity and Charity shall forfeit five shillings for every offence 29 Car 2. Cap. 7. If any person shall cry shew forth or put to sale any Wares Fruit Goods c. except Milk only before the hours of nine in the morning and after four in the afternoon He shall forfeit the said Wares Fruite Goods c. to the use of the poor 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. No Drover Horse-courser Waggoner Butcher Higler or any of their servants shall travel or come to their Inns on the Lord's Day shall forfeit twenty shillings for every offence 29 Car. 2. Cap. 6. No person shall use to travel upon the Lord's Day with any Horse Boat Wherry c. except allowed by one Iustice of Peace so to do by View Confession or one witness the fofeitvre is five shillings for every offence The Conviction upon this Statute must be before any Iustice of the County c. who shall give warrant to the Constables c. to seize the Goods shewed c. and to levy the Forfeitures by distress and for want of distress to put the Offender in the Stocks for two hours the Iustices c. may reward the Informer out of the Forfeitures not exceeding the third part 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. This Act extends not to dressing of Meat inn Cooks Shops Inns or Victualing-Houses The Queens Letter TRusty and Well-beloved We Greet you well Considering the great and indispensible Duty incumbent upon us and to promote and encourage a Reformation of the Manners of all our Subjects that so the Service of God may be advanced and those Blessings be procured to these Nations which always attend a Conscientious Discharge of our respective Duties according to our several Relations We think it necessary in order to the obtaining of this Publick Good to recommend unto you the putting in Execution with all Fidelity and Impartiality those Laws which have been made and are still in force against the Prophanation of the Lords-Day Prophane Swearing and Cursing Drunkenness and all other lewd enormous and disorderly Practices which by a long conntinued Neglect and Connivance of the Magistrates and Officers concerned have universally spread themselves to the Dishonour of God and the Scandal of our Holy Religion wherby it is now become the more necessary for all Persons in Authority to apply themselves with all possible Care and Diligence to the suppressing of the same We do therefore hereby charge and require you to take the most effectual Methods for putting the Laws in Execution against the Crimes above-menioned and all other Sins and Vices particularly those which are most prevailing in this Realm and that especially in such cases where any Officers of Justice shall be guilty of any of those Offences or refuse or neglect to discharge the Duty of his place for the suppressing them that so such Officer by his Punishment may serve for an Example to others And to this end we would have you be careful and diligent in encouraging all Constables Church-wardens Headborroughs and all other Officers and Persons whatsoever to do their part in their several Stations by timely and impartial Informations and Prosecutions against all such Offenders for preventing those Judgments which are solemnly denounced against the Sins above-mentioned We cannot doubt of your performance hereof since it is a Duty to which you are obliged by Oath
the Hastning of thy Death and what is more than all the Price of thine Unvaluable precious and Immortal Soul Thy Soul which has a Being beyond all the Existences of Material Beings which cannot must not die which must shortly appear before the Judgment Seat of God Oh! Consider before thou goest to the next Debauch whether thou art able to endure the Agonies and Torments the Flames and Pains which the Damned feel Dost thou imagine that God will Extinguish that Everlasting Fire to indulge thy Carnal Desires Or that He will put an End to Hell out of tenderness to thy Lusts and Concupiscence No certainly he will not abate one tittle of thy Punishment Be wise then and forsake thy Impurities before the day of Grace be past and there remain no Sacrifice no Atonement for thy Sin 28. As a means to attain to and maintain that Admirable Virtue of Chastity I shall touch upon those common Practical Rules adapted to every Capacity and obvious to every Understanding Nine Practical Rules to be observed by such as would avoid the Odious Sin of Vncleanness First Resist the Temptation at the Beginning What tho' you carry about you the Seeds of Corruption Principiis Obsta Venionti Occurito Morbo Pers and have your Naturals Composed of the same Flesh and Blood with others What tho' you are Children of Originally corrupted Parents were shapen in Iniquity and in Sin your Mothers conceived you What tho' the dire Contagion was handed down to you by your Ancestors Is it not your Care and Duty to keep this Law of your Members which is always Warring against the Law of your Minds from getting the Mastery over you If you had no Temptations nor Inclinations to Lust where is your Virtue in being Continent Marcâ—t sine Adversario Virtus Senec. 'T is a tryal of your Graces that must make you experienced Champions and the Victory over your Lusts that must make you More than Conquerors Can you fight without Enemies or overcome without Opposition or expect the Crown without the Victory The Devil allures and the Flesh may prompt you to yield bur neither of them can force you if you will be true to your selves and keep the Reins in your own Hands To this end suppress the very first Motions to Impurity Crush the Cockâ—trice in his Egg and make a vigorous Repulse at â—he very first Onset of a Temptation As for Example Think whether you would commit the Sin â—f you were to die the next Moment and whether you would be contented to appear at the Tribunal of Heaven in the Embraces of a Harlot or in the Arms of an Adulteress Consider also whether you can find any Retirement so Private any Apartment so Obscure where God cannot see you or where his hand cannot find you out 2ly Avoid Idleness Have always something to do and give not an Advantage to the Tempter to break in upon you whilst you are unguarded The Perching Soul becomes an easy Prey to the Infernal Fowler whilst the Winged Spirit is out of Danger Beware then of administring to your Youthful Flames by Sloth and Ease by Entertaining your Thoughts with Unchast Imaginations which increase by nothing so much as your Idle Hours If you have Employs be diligent therein Eating the Bread of Carefulness for so he giveth his Beloved rest If you are above the toyls of a Labouring Life you cannot want business wherein to spend your vacant Hours if you consider the great Concern of your Souls that lies upon your hands and requires more time than you have in your own power A Holy Life has many ways to dispose of the long and tedious days and were you intent upon the Duties thereof you would have no reason to complain of thâ— Idle time which lies upon you nor would you give thâ— Tempter or any Lust an Opportunity to rob you oâ— your Innocence or to Prey upon your Chastity 3ly In the next place Keep a Constant Watchovâ—â— your Eyes those doors of the Soul those Casementâ— to Imagination and those Inlets to Vice Thâ— Wiseman has always one Eye at Home while thâ— other is employed abroad in Speculation But herâ— 't is safe to keep both your doors shut unless yoâ— could stare the Vanity Dead the Beauty into a Monster and the Temptation into a Virtue Buâ— 't is dangerous to run the risque of such an Adventure and an Attempt too bold for most to undertake Your strength is but weakness at best and your Clear-sightedness oftimes in this Nature becomes your Blind-side where the Lust has an Advantage to break in upon you If you are Wise keep out of Eye-shot and come not a near the fair Enemy for there is much in a Painted Face in a loose Garb in Wanton Gestures and in Naked Breasts to work upon the unguarded Eye and render the Heart prisoner Nor is it enough to turn your Eyes from beholding Vanity when Accidentally offered to their View but you should avoiâ— as much as in you lies all Occasions which may lead them astray You would do well to abstain from all publick Balls Shews and Stage-Plays and all other places of great Appearance which may be apt to administer Fuel to your Fire For if at Church where the Awe of God and the Reverence due to his Immediate presence should have some Influence over you if there I say you can with much ado keep your Eyes from gazing and wandring after Beautiful Objects and from conceiving Lustful thoughts thereon How much more difficult will it be to do so there where your design of going is principally to be Spectators of Folly and Lightness not to say worse or where is the Common Mart or Forum for the Gallant to pick up his Mistriss and carry her off Incognito Nor is it only dangerous to behold those Charms to Lust in the Original in Living Instances but also in Effigie For these dumb obscene Pictures with a tacit whisper captivate the Eye move the Imagination and fire the Heart 4ly Avoid all Frothy and Idle Discourse Be neither the Speakers Hearers or Readers of such Language Keep a Watch over your Tongues stop your Ears as well as turn away your Eyes from all that looks like Obscenity Evil Communication says the Apostle Corrupts good Manners 1 Cor. 15. Therefore as he says in another place let no Corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth Eph. 4. A loose Tongue and Obscene Lips insensibly betray the Soul into the snare of Uncleanness Therefore as you value your Chastity and desire to keep your selves pure Think it not matter of Jest to talk wittilly Obscene but be assured you are not only to answer for the Words you speak but also for all the Mischief they may produce upon either your selves or others 5ly In the next place Beware what Company you keep 'T is an Italian Proverb tell me with what Company you go and I 'll tell you where you go tell me with whom you Converse and
frequented Oratories Will the Churches contain the confluence of Auditors Will our Absence or Presence lessen or augment the number of the Faithful Had not we better tarry away than go with unprepared Hearts to fleep or stare away the time Such as these are the Evasions made now a-days by many but Poor Creatures little do they consider who it is that suggests those Idle Reasonings into them else they would see clearly that 't is Gods Command that we by keeping Holy this His blessed Day might meditate on his Glorious Works of our Creation and Redemption and learn how to know and to keep all the rest of his Holy Laws and Commandments This is the Market-Day of our Souls and where should we go to buy the Food of Angels and the Waters of Life the Wine of the Sacrament and the Milk of the Word of God to feed our drooping Souls but at those Ordinances where they are to be had without Money and without Price Where should we receive the precious Eye-salve to Unscale our benighted Eyes and heal our Spiritual Blindness but from those Spiritual Physitians How can our wounded Consciences and troubled Spirits and broken Hearts be cured of their Maladies unless we come there where the Balm of Gilead drops from the Lips of the Preacher Besides in this publick Ordinance of the Church we own God to be not only the Lord and Maker of every Individual person but to be the Head of the Mystical Body to be the Sovereign over the Universal World 6. There are others who are constant in the Publick Congregation Secondly By neglecting the Private Duties of the Family make as it were a Conscience of going Morning and Evening to Church but then this is all they think is required at their Hands If you should tell them of Repetition Meditation Family-Duties Catechising Exhorting c. They must beg your Pardon there They do not design to make the Lord's Day a Burden to them They will not turn their Houses into Conventicles They will not be Righteous over much they must be excused from being singular And they will not differ from their Neighbours This and the like Language you shall be sure to find from most For God knows to the shame of Christianity Men are so stupid and cold so Luke-warm and indifferent in their Great Concern that it is well if a Prayer be said in a Private Family Once a Week And what is more to be lamented That is wanting also in most Houses And when the Master of the House is so remiss no wonder if the Servants and Children trifle away the Remainder of the Day and after His Example grow as unconcerned in their Private and Closet Duties as he was in the more publick Ones of His Family Nay more it is to be feared he himself is as seldom in Secret as he cares to be Openly Good and Pious I would not be thought Uncharitable and therefore leave the Judging of their retired Thoughts to Him whose only Jurisdiction it is to know and discern the Secrets of all Hearts and pass on to the Consideration of the next way by which men may be said to profane this Holy Day viz. 7. By following the Works of their Ordinary callings either by themselves their Servants Thirdly The Lords-Day profaned by following our Ordinary Callings by Our selves Servants or Beasts or their Beasts If the neglect of Sanctifying the Lords-Day by our Publick and Private Duties be a Profanation thereof How much more then is it profane to violate it by any servile Labour or forbidden vocation It is the Express Letter of the Command that on this Day we should do no manner of Work neither we nor our Sons nor our Daughters nor our Men-Servants nor our Maid-Servants nor our Cattel nor the Stranger that is within our Gates How then shall they Answer the Outfacing of so strict a Command who shall presume contrary to both God's and Humane Laws to follow their Ordinary Imployment thereon whether by Themselves their Servants or their Beasts And with these I must beg leave to Expostulate a while Are not six Days enough to bestow on this World and the Concerns thereof Cannot you spare one day in Seven to cease from your Labours Will you be so cruel as to give your selves no respite from the fatigues of Toyl and Business Shall the Ten Commandments and the Constitutions of a Christian Government be kinder to your Nature and more Compassionate thereto than you your selves And is it not enough to afflict your own Bodies and rob your own Souls of that Spiritual Nourishment but you must lay burthens upon your Servants and deprive them of that Advantage which they might reap by the Religious Observation of this Day 'T is sad to reflect upon the many Unfortunate Servants who are Articled under such Pagan-Christian Masters and I cannot forbear bestowing a Sigh and a Tear or two at their unalterable Calamity For this our Metropolitan City without looking further can furnish us with many Hundreds I wish I could not say Thousands of those Unsanctified Wretches who having not the fear of God before their Own Eyes care not how little those that do belong to them are instructed in the Points of Religion And as they are for cutting off all other Opportunities of their growing in Grace so are they carefull to debar them of This season of improving themselves therein by Sanctifying the Lords Day Thus is the Miserable Young-man by a Seven Years irreligious Course of Life become at last as Stupid and Profane a Person as his Master before him And when out of his Time it is seldom that ever he recollects himself but deals as hardly with his own Apprentice And can we expect the Profane Wretch would be more merciful to his Beasts No certainly He would use them as hardly as his Servants were not the Laws of our Land strict in the restraining of such unaccountable Cruelties And truly it is as much as the Magistrate can do to keep the Traveller from his unnecessary Journeys and to debar the Hackney-Coaches from plying in our very Streets on the Lords-Day 8. And Here I cannot but wish the Gentry would forbear their visiting the Churches in State and contrive a better way of going thither then in their Ceremonial Chariots 'T is true their Beasts may not be put to hard Service but then their Coachmen who have Souls as precious in the Eyes of the Lord as any others lose the Priviledge of the Publick Ordinances by being forced to attend and look to their Coach and Horses at the Church doors I speak not this to affront any but only to put them in mind of contriving ways if they must be Coached to Church so to dispose of their Coach and Horses that their Servants as well as Themselves may have the Benefit of serving their Common and Great Master 9. But to return there is besides this of Labour another way by which the Lords-Day is
Hour No certainly we find the Unhappy Creature tho' he has so much grace left to come to Church after his Epicurean Dinner yet overtaken with sleep before Prayers be half said and in his Slumbers before the Minister has named his Text twice over And can we think God is well pleased with such a Man's Sacrifice Can the most Charitable Christian now living allow such a stupid Soul to have Sanctified the Lords-Day aright 14. But to prevent this Others are so cautious as not to go to Church at all A Third work of the flesh is Gaming on this Day and the Cloth removed they betake themselves to what they then are most fit for to Softness and Effeminacy to Gaming and Dancing to Singing and telling of Idle Stories 'T is very well known how many I wish I could not say of the Higher Rank of Men spend the Close if not the greatest part of the Lords-Day Not in Reading and Meditating not in Instructing and Praying with their Families but at Chess or Tables at Cards or Dice I would very willingly know whether their Time is so much Employed on other Days that they are so forward to set this Day apart too for their Sports and Pastimes Shall the Devil not only Engross the Week-Days but have the Sunday spent in his Service too Strange and Horrible this That Men should be so Insatuated and Enslaved so Bewitched and Inveigled to their Idle Pleasures as to bestow all their time both secular and sacred upon them 15. But this is not all to fill up the measure of Iniquity they must have their Anticks and their Merry strains on this Holy Day A fourth Work of the Flesh is Dancing and Profane Singing on this Day They cannot go to Bed without a Song or a Dance to refresh their drooping Spirits Poor Hearts They have been fatigued with the long and tedious Duties of the Day have with patience undergone the Burthen thereof and attended till they were weary to Mr. Parsons Discourse of an Hour long And must they be debarred from a harmless Diversion which hurts no body and is an Offence to none but meddling Fools and unaccountably-scrupulous Puritans Perhaps this might be tolerable were it not attended as is most commonly with Masqueradings and Balls of half a Nights Continuance But shall such Farce and Sonnetting go down Shall such Fooleries and Apishness make up the Conclusion of the Sunday Shall Singing of Divine Anthems Hymns and Spiritual Songs so much recommended by St. James and so much in use among the truly merry-hearted Primitive Christians be abus'd ridicul'd and laid aside by most And shall the Melodious Harmony of the Saints and the Consort we may hold with the Heavenly Host be Converted into Obscene Modern Songs which would not take at any other time were it not for the Pandarism of a Musical Composure 16. But as yet we have seen but the best part the foulest is still behind what I have said of the two last ways by which the Lords-Day is profaned to wit The last way wâ—ereby the Lords-day is profaned viz. By Country Revellings and Riots by Singing and Dancing is what the Civilized Citizens and more Gentile Courtiers are guilty of But if you step into the Country you will see Franticks as well as Anticks on this Sacred Day No sooner is the Evening-service over but you would think Hell it self were broke loose and that every Parish and Village were a Universal Bedlam They are Sober indeed who keep House and pass away the time in some idle Romantick Discourse and are not seen with the more Licentious Multitude But good God! What Routs and Disorders what Cudgel-playing and Wrest-ling what Races and Foot-Ball Matches are set on foot in their open Fields on this Great Solemnity Dancings and Râ—vellings May-games and Wakes are so Customary that if you offer to suppress them you incroach upon the Priviledge to the Subject Nor is this their Practise only on a Licentious Carnival or a Jovial Whitsuntide but on every Sunday in the Year Not is it the Custom of any peculiar Place but almost of every Village Division Hundred and County in the whole Kingdom This Pest reigns in every Air this Plague is Predominant in every Clyme and this Profane Infection has taken hold of every Quarter and Corner of the Nation 17. But Brutes that you are How unreasonably do you style your selves Christians An earnest Expostulation and Exhortation for the duly Celebrating the Lords Day when as you do that on the Lords-Day which a Modest Heathen would blush to do at any time Are there any Pagans in Nature worse than your selves in Practise What is it you think of Are your Sports and Pastimes your Routs and Revellings all the Evening Sacrifice God is like to have at your Hands Will those be an Incense of a sweet savour unto his Nostrils Is God the Master of your time and are you accountable to him for All and must the more precious Minutes thereof be Squandered away at this Rate Can you find no leisure Hours from your Business to recreate your Bodies but the day which the Lord has set apart for himself Must that be your Vacation your Play-day Vngrateful Wretches that you are Had God desired some Great thing at your Hands could you have denied him since your Breath your Lives your All are of and from him And can you when he only bids you remember the Seventh Day to keep it Holy find tricks and ways how to rob him of his right in that too Monsters of Ingratitude Where is your Love where is your Duâ—y where is your Thankfulness and where is your Obedience to that Being by whose Permission alone it is that you breath out of Hell one Moment What hinders but you may be Zealous in Observing this Sacred Day Are you afraid the Church will disown you for being righteous overmuch Are there any stronger Encouragements to be Zealous unto good Works than what are to be found within her Bosom Is it a disgrace for a Church of England-Man to be strict in obeying God's Commands Is the Name of Precisian Singular or Puritan so powerful to frighten you from walking according to the Precepts of our Blessed Saviour Are you afraid or ashamed to be His followers Why than do you affix His Name before yours And take it as an affront if you are called by any other Name than that of Christian Be persuaded than to be Christians indeed to bear a Reverential Zeal and Fear to all that belongs to God to his Attributes to his Name to his Word to his Works and to his Day For the Celebration of the Last of which take these following Rules 18. Some Rules laid down for the right Observation of the Sabbath First Preparation on the Eve Prepare thy Heart for this Great Solemnity If there was so much Devotion and Decorum so much Preparation and Cleansing requisite for the Receiving the Law the Approaching the Ark
and the Entring into the Tabernacle and they were punished with Death who were rash and Unprepared in their Approaches How much more should we provide our selves for the partaking of the Holy Mysteries under the Gospel Dispensation And how dangerously Guilty are those who heedlesly and rashly run into those Holy Ordinances Keep thy foot when thou goest into the House of the Lord is Solomon's advice and it was not the not Washing of the Hands but the unclean unpurified Heart that our Saviour condemned in the Pharisees He that so uses the world as tho' he used it not and has God always before his Eyes is a continual Sacrifice and needs not much blowing to raise up his Soul into a Flame But the Carking Worlding who all the Week is fastned to this Earth should take some time to disintangle his thoughts and make them ready for Spiritual Objects He would do well to leave off his Business as early as conveniently he can on the Eve of every Lords-Day to call himself to account and see how cases stand betwixt God and his own Soul He would do well to retire into his Chamber to commune with his own Heart to search it throughly and to examine whether he be sensible of that Majesty before whom he must on the Morrow appear 'T is for want of this Premeditation that the Heart relishes Spirituals so ill on the Day they are offered to it that it is so soon cloyed and glutted with sacred things which had the Mind been prepared would have lain well upon and been easily digested by the Soul 19. Having thus provided for the Approaching Solemnity and made His Addresses in His Closet to the God who hears in Secret Secondly Frequenting the Publick Ordinances of the Church He will find it no such Difficult matter to be present at and demean himself decently and devoutly in the Publick Ordinances of the Church and to stay them out were they something longer than they are And here the Devout Soul needs not to be admonished tho' the Lazy unprepared and unsanctified Hearts should be put in Mind to consider in whose presence it is that they then appear that they may be struck with an awful Reverence and an humble Fear of that Majesty with whom they then and there more immediately converse It is the Assembly of the Saints the Congregation of the Faithful the Confluence of God's Elect a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Peculiar People a Holy Nation that they then and there represent to shew forth the Praises of him who hath called them out of Darkness into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 Oh how should such thoughts inflame them to lift up pure Hands to cast up pure Eyes to dart up pure Affections to lift up a clean Heart and to pour out Holy Prayers before the Throne of Grace How should such thoughts make them joyn with the Minister in that admirable Form of Morning and Evening Prayer the Church in her Liturgy has prepared to their Hands the Excellency of which appears to none more than to the truly Pious Fixed Warm and attentive Soul How should they be inflamed with Love and not only offer up their Prayers but their Praises also to that Being who gives them the Cause the Power and the Faculty to Praise How should they run out to meet God in his Ordinances to Hearken to his Messengers shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace How would they be Enamoured with the Mercies supported by the Promises and forewarned by the Judgments and Threatnings of the most High How will their Instructed Minds and Informed Wills breath after a Spiritual Participation of the Bread of Life and the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant And in this Mysterious Solemnity a Devout Communicant would not come to offer but to receive his Crucified Master he would sacrifice his Sins and offer up himself a Living sacrifice Holy and Acceptable unto God which is his reasonable service He would offer up his Vnderstanding his Will his Affections his Passions his All to be directed governed and guided by the Royal Will and Pleasure of Heaven 20. Were every Christian that goes to Church thus affected as in some degree all must be that will sanctifie the Lords-Day aright He would not find it so difficult to consecrate the Remainder thereof at Home Thirdly By Family Duties and in his Closet He would not then think it Puritanical or a business Indifferent but absolutely necessary and indispensable to take care that He and his House serve the Lord not only in the publick Solemnities of the Church but in the more retired Duties of the Family He would not then be ashamed nor esteem it tedious and irksom to spend the Close in Reading Exhorting Meditating and Contemplating in Praying to and Praising of the Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity But would think it his Happiness his Joy and his Delight For this inward Spiritual and Caelestial Pleasure I appeal to those who have tasted what a Sweet and Pleasant thing it is to be thankful Holy and Zealously Religious on this Day Motives for the keeping of the Lords-Day Hoâ—y â—rawn from the the Consideration of the Benefits of Observing it and the Mischiefs of Profaning it both to privâ—te Persons and to thâ— Publick 21. And if the Charms of this Festivity rightly observed be not of force enough to prevail with the Profane to come in and joyn with the strictly Pious yet the Consideration of the Benefits that Redound from a Due observation of the Lords-Day â—nd the Mischiefs of Profaning it that Infest every individual Person as well as the Publick will I hope perswade him to think it his Interest as well as Duty to be strict and exact in remembring a Seventh Day to keep it Holy 22. The first Benefit that naturally flows from the due Observance of the Lords-Day is the upholding a sence of Religion in the Person that thus Observes it The first Benefit of sanctifying the Lords-Day is the upholding a sence of Religion in us It is on this Day that we are taught our particular Duties of Living Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World It is then Grace is administred to the Hearers Grace to assist them in performing what is commanded and Grace to resist and avoid the Temptations of doing Evil. Then are we told of a Heaven and the joys thereof laid up in store for all such as truly Love Fear Obey and Believe in God and are acquainted with a Hell that is prepared for the Unbelievers and Profane There we have the faculties of our Souls enlightened our Understandings cleared our Wills rectified our passions subjected to our Reasons and our Outward in all things made subservient to our Inward Man It is then we have our Faith Hope and Charity Our Love Patience Meekness and Humility Our Sobriety Temperance and Chastity and all the other Virtues of a Christian and Holy Life revived renewed enlarged regulated and