and inspired by the Holy Ghost to be a light to our feet and a lantern to our path to direct us in the plain way to everlasting life 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And the holy Sacraments were appointed for the encrease of grace to all that make a right use of them And our Blessed Saviour did at fâ—rst send abroad his Apostles to Preach the Gospel to all the World and hath ever since continued a successâ—on of Ministers in his Church whose standing office it is to administer the word and Sacraments to watch over the Souls of the people to instruct and admonish them both in publick and private and to use their utmost diligence to bring them to the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus And God is ever ready to accompany their endeavours with his blessing Do you not often find his good Spirit putting good thoughts and motions into your mind inclining you to that which is holy and good checking and restraining you when you are running into evil But on the other hand it 's the evil Spirit even the Devil himself that tempts you to sin and would hinder you from your Duty It 's the Devil that tempts Men to pride and malice and to all manner of wickedness For he being a proud malicious and most wicked Spirit would have Men to be like himself that so they may be for ever miserable with him Will you not then resist the Devil the great enemy of your Souls and be led and guided by Gods good Spirit and follow his Motions and the directions of his word which lead to happiness O do not grieve this Blessed Spirit who alone can give us true comfort do not resist and quench his motions nor provoke him to depart from you and leave you to your own lusts and to the power of Satan who seeks your ruin Moreover as the Devil has his instruments to draw Men to wickedness one ill man tempting another so Ministers are sent from God to draw you to righteousness and holiness They are the Embassadors and Messengers of Christ and do in his name bescech you to be reconciled to God who is most willing to be reconciled to you if you will but cast away those wicked works which provoke him to anger 2 Cor. 5. 20. O how will it rejoyce the hearts of your Ministers that truly love your Souls to see the success of their labours to have you come to them enquiring what you must do to be saved declaring your repentance for your former evil Courses and your resolution henceforth to become new Creatures Certainly we exhort you to nothing but what is highly reasonable and for your own benefit whilst we perswade you to return to the favour of God Why then will you not hearken to us If a message of mercy should be sent you from the King when you were in danger of death for Rebellion would you not most gladly and thankfully receive it And will you not be as thankful and obedient to the King of kings and as wife to save your Souls as to preserve your Bodies And beside his Word and Ministers God also pleads with you by his providences to bring you to repentance Sometimes he sends afflictions to correct you for your faults to shew you the evil of sin and draw you home to himself and at other times he sends many mercies as I have told you to soften your hearts to engage and allure you to his service And such good use we ought to make of all Gods dealings with us 4. Consider further what engagements you ly under to an holy life by your own profession promises and vows You profess and call your selves Christians the Disciples and followers of Christ Ought you not then to follow his example and obey his Commands if you will make good that name You would think it a great disgrace not to be taken for a Christian but for a Turk or Jew Beware then lest you bring this disgrace upon your selves by an unchristian temper of mind and ill course of life If you are false or cruel Covetous or Lustful like a Turk or Jew it matters little what you call your selves He is not a Christian that 's one outwardly but he that has the same mind and spirit that was in Christ Jesus God will not at the last day judge of men by their names and titles but by their hearts and lives Only it will go much worse with a man that calls himself a Christian and yet lives like an Heathen or Infidel And pray consider how by your Baptism you are solemnly listed under Christs banner to fight against the Devil the World and the Flesh and by the keeping this vow you shew your selves to be Christians indeed But if you are led away by the temptations of Satan and do his works and are ensnared by the vanities of the World the lusts and pleasures of the Flesh you do in effect renounce your Baptism Besides this have you not renewed this same vow at the Holy Communion there openly professing your belief in Christ crucified and promising obedience to him If you have not received this Holy Sacrament though you have long been at years of discretion you then shew your selves by this neglect to be no obedient Disciples of Christ since you do not obey his plain command to do this in remembrance of him Luk. 22. 19. And indeed I fear that many careless people will not come to the Communion because they think it would bind them to lead such a strict and holy life as they have no mind to But do not they cast off Jesus Christ from being their Master who look upon his commands as too strict and severe and will not promise to obey him Yea do they not thereby even disown their Baptism by which they were bound to this obedience So that the same reason which keeps them from the Communion it 's like would keep them from being Baptized if it were yet to be done And what sort of Christians are they that would reject Christian Baptism because it engages them to an holy life If you are not guilty of this neglect but do sometimes come to the Lords Supper to keep up the remembrance of his death and sufferings Then pray consider that by receiving this holy Sacrament you do solemnly renew your vows to be Christ's faithful Servants and Disciples and to walk in sincere obedience to all his holy Laws as you hope for Salvation by his death Wherefore may I not well beseech you to use all due care to live according to this your promise and engagement What a shame is it for a Man to be false to his word much more to his Oath O do not then break that Oath which you have made to God himself by taking this holy Sacrament And call to mind if you have not sometimes on a Sick-bed or in some great danger made the same promise and vow And has not God spared you
THE Christian Monitor Containing an Earnest EXHORTATION TO AN Holy Life With some DIRECTIONS in order thereto Written in a plain and easie Style for all sorts of People Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. Imprimatur C. Alston R. P. D. Hen. Episc Lond. Ã Sacris Domesticis The Second Edition LONDON Printed for Samuel Tidmarsh at the King's Head in Cornhill near the Royal Exchange 1686. Price 3 d. THE Christian Monitor c. CHAP. I. Exhortation to an Holy Life with Motives thereto IT 's very sad to consider not only how few Nations there are in the World which profess Christianity but also of those who do profess it how few there are comparatively that live according to their Profession Wherefore it well beseems all Christ's faithful servants especially the Ministers of his Gospel to use their utmost endeavours by Life and Doctrine by publick and private Exhortations by preaching and writing and by all the ways they are capable to promote true Piety and Holiness amongst all sorts of Men whether high or low rich or poor without which no Man can be happy either in this World or that to come And though I well know that thanks be to God we abound with multitudes of excellent Books written to this end yet are not such short Instructions as these that follow to be condemned as useless since they will it 's like he more generally dispersed and that amongst the very meanest of the People and may more easily be read and remembred by such as have neither time to read large Books nor Money to buy them With such as these I have occasion often to meet and for their sakes chiefly it is that I publish this little Paper being encouraged thereto by some pious Persons both of City and Countrey who intend to give some of them away to poor people about them and thought others might do the like And may it please God to give a Blessing to such a mean Undertaking as this and succeed it to the good of Souls I shall little regard the Censures of the curious Remembring the saying I have somewhere met with of a devout Writer to this purpose That he was desirous his Books should be scattered abroad upon Pedlers Stalls and thence come into the hands of common People for the encreasing of Knowledge and Piety rather than be solemnly laid up and buried in the Libraries of the Learned Wherefore without any more Preface I shall address my self to you for whose sake I write these Lines as a Perswasive to an Holy and Religious Life Now in order thereto let me beseech you to look back upon your Lives past and call your selves to account whether it has been your care and study to live in such a godly manner as becomes those who are baptized into the Name of Christ and after him are called Christians Have you well considered what is the meaning of this Name and what Engagement you lie under to an Holy Life by taking it upon you in Baptism And do you keep well in mind your Baptismal Vow wherein you renounced the Devil the World and the Flesh and promised to be Christ's faithful Souldiers and Servants and so to continue all the days of your Life Have you so far understood and considered these things that you have made it your chief business to walk accordingly Do you watch carefully and fight manfully against your spiritual Enemies Do you live as those that believe the Gospel sincerely endeavouring in all things to know the Will of God and do it Since you take Christ's Name into your mouth are you careful to depart from all iniquity In a word is this your greatest study and design to please and glorifie God and to work out your own salvation If your Conscience can truly witness for you that it is indeed so and that wherein at any time you fall short or do amiss you are heartily grieved for it and do daily labour to amend and grow better If it be thus with you I say then bless God for his grace and mercy hold on and prosper and fear not but God will be with you He will own you as his Children and for his Son Jesus sake will both pardon your sins and assist you by his Grace he will guide you by his Counsel and at length receive you to Glory But pray deal faithfully with your own Souls and tell me Has it not been quite otherwise with you Have you not contented your selves with the bare Name and Profession of Christianity and in the mean time led an ill course of Life directly contrary to your Profession Have you not lived in wilful ignorance of your Duty or in gross sins against your Knowledge Do not the temptations of the Devil the allurements of the World and the Flesh many times prevail more with you than the Commands of Almighty God and the voice of your own Conscience Are you not wont to neglect God's worship and service both in the Church and at home yea do you not profane his holy Name by swearing and cursing Are you not often guilty of lying and slandering of cozening and cheating if not of downright stealing Do you not in your anger use railing and reviling Language Or do you not live in Envy and Malice seeking for revenge of those that have done you any injury Do you not allow your selves in Drunkenness or Whoredom or some other known and wilful sin To be short Is there not something or other in this World that you love more than you do God himself and his Son Jesus Are you not much more concerned for your Bodies than for your precious Souls And do you not more earnestly seek after Food and Raiment and the good things of this Life than after that eternal Kingdom of Glory which God hath promised to his faithful Servants in the World to come If this indeed be your Case I beseech you make a stand and consider well what you have been doing what a sad and dangerous condition you have brought your selves into and what the end of it will be if you hold on in such evil courses Humbly beg of God to make you duly sensible of your sin and danger and to keep the sense thereof so close to your minds that you may be brought not only to mourn for your sins but to loath and abhor them and utterly to forsake the same henceforth resolving by the grace of God wholly to give up your selves to his service and to walk stedfastly in those holy and good ways which he has appointed you This is that to which I do most earnestly desire to perswade you And that I may do my utmost to prevail with you I shall lay before you some very weighty Arguments which I request you seriously to ponder of as you read them and God grant they may have due effect upon the heart of every Reader Amen 1 That you may
O then let his patience and all his goodness at last have this happy effect upon us let it lead us to true Repentance and ever hereafter engage us to diligence and constancy in his service Rom. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. 2 To which purpose consider again that this was the end for which God sent his Son Jesus into the World even to seek and save us lost and miserable sinners to bring us to Repentance and newness of life that so we might be restored to the love and favour of God which we had lost by sinning against him Our first Parents Adam and Eve were created in a very holy and happy Estate but they fell from it by sinning against God and so came all misery into the World And then did our Heavenly Father take pity on us and sent his own Son out of his bosom to be our Saviour and Redeemer to reform us from our Sins and so to deliver us from misery First he will make us Holy and then we shall be made Happy For as man lost his happiness by disobeying Gods command so he must recover it by becoming obedient to his will in all things To this end hath the Lord Jesus fully revealed Gods will to us when we were in ignorance and darkness He hath given us holy precepts for the rule of our Life And made most rich and precious promises to perswade us to our duty and denounced dreadful threatnings to affright us from Wickedness And when we had deserved the Wrath of God for our sins then did Jesus Christ shed his most precious Blood to make Atonement for us and to obtain our pardon and forgiveness He dyed for our offences and rose again for our justification Rom. 4. 25. And in his Gospel he has given full assurance of Gods good will to mankind that he will be merciful to us and pardon us if we truly repent of our sins and forsake them Thus hath Christ opened a door of hope for us to encourage us to return to God For if there had been no hopes of mercy we should never have been drawn to Repentance but even like the Devils themselves should have remained full of hatred and malice against God utterly despairing of relief from him But whilst the death of Christ does so much engage and encourage us to forsake our sins it gives not the least encouragement to our continuance in them Let us not think that Christ dyed for our sins that we might have liberty to live in them and yet be saved at the last No but he came to save us from our sins not in them He makes us blessed by turning us from our iniquities He dyed to redeem us from a vain and evil Conversation to purify our Hearts and reform our Lives and make us a peculiar People zealous of good works Matt. 1. 21. Act. 3. 26. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. The death of Christ for us vile sinners shews the infinite love of God in finding out this way for our Salvation But then it shews also what an evil thing sin is and how hateful to God since he would not pardon us without the suffering of his own dear Son on our account And therefore if the consideration of all this does not bring us to hate and abhor our sins and to love and serve our God and Saviour we are never like to have any benefit by Christs death All our professions of loving him and believing in him will stand us in no stead without obeying him True saving Faith in Christ is that which works by love both to God and our Neighbour Christ accounts none to be his friends but those that keep his Commandments and to such only will he grant pardon and Salvation Gal. 5. 6. Joh. 15. 14. Heb. 5. 9. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Since then the ever-blessed Jesus the Son of God came down from Heaven became a Man and dyed a most painful death upon the Cross that he might save us from sin and misery shall we not accept of him as our Lord and Saviour who comes to deliver us from the power of the Devil and our own Lusts to make us the Children of God and heirs of Glory which is a thousand times greater deliverance than that of the Israelites from the Aegyptian bondage Will you not be moved by all that Christ has done and suffered for you Shall not his love constrain you to love him and to hate all sin which was the cause of his sufferings Will you tread under foot his most precious Blood and even crucifie him afresh and again put him to open shame Thus in some sort do wicked men use their Saviour whilst they go on in their sins which are so displeasing to him They that lie and cozen for a little gain what do they but with Judas sell away Christ for Money They that live in hatred and malice and do mischief to their Neighbours do in effect run the Spear into Christs side and drive Nails into his hands and feet And they that give themselves to Riot and Drunkenness do even mingle Gall and Vinegar for him to drink They do all that in them lies by their sinful pleasures to put him again into Agonies and Pains But on the other hand it is a delight to our Saviour to see us humbled for our sins and resolved to forsake them He will readily and effectually interceed for us with our heavenly Father who is most willing to receive returning Prodigals There is joy in Heaven when sinners on Earth repent Even this our return to God by true repentance is the best recompence we can make to our Blessed Saviour for all his pains and sufferings When the pleasure of the Lord prospers in his hand by the conversion of sinners he then sees the travel of his Soul and is satisfied Isa. 63. 10 11. And shall we not afford this satisfaction to our Redeemer who hath undergone so much for our sakes and still out of his tender love to our Souls follows us with such earnest invitations to come to him for life and happiness Could we deny him this most reasonable request if we saw him now in person standing before us beseeching us to turn and live And this he now does by his Spirit and by his Ministers But that leads me to the next 3 Consider therefore that this also was the end for which the Holy Ghost is given and all the means of grace afforded even to sanctifie our hearts and make us an holy and obedient People God knows the weakness and corruption of our Natures and therefore in great mercy he affords the assistance of his holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and purifie our hearts to renew and change our natures and guide us in ways of holiness here that so we may be fitted for eternal happiness with the most holy God in the life to come Joh. 3. 3 5. Rom. 8. 9. And for this end were the holy Scriptures written by men assisted
your direction if you have no Books on this Subject yet read seriously the Office for the Communion in the Common Prayer and you may find very great assistance from it It 's very fit also to consult with your Minister especially the first time you receive Assure your selves it 's a very hainous sin to live one year after another in the neglect of this weighty Duty and argues a very great contempt of our Saviour's Authority and of his infinite love and kindness Before I leave speaking of your Duty to God let me beseech you carefully to abstain from that common hainous sin of Swearing A most sensless piece of wickedness that brings neither pleasure nor profit along with it When you are called before the Magistrate in weighty Cases you may lawfully swear Heb. 6. 16. but take great care to swear the Truth and nothing but the Truth for otherwise you call the true God to witness a Lie and do even call for his vengeance upon your selves In your ordinary communication avoid all manner of swearing either by the sacred Name of God or by any Creature Matth. 5. 34. Jam. 5. 12. Use not such Expressions As you hope to be sav'd As you hope for mercy with others the like which are great Oaths though frequently used upon every slight occasion Do not so much as rashly and carelesly mention the holy Name of God or Christ but let your inward Reverence be manifested in your outward Expressions And to this I may fitly joyn as earnest Caution against the sin of Cursing in which the Name of God is often dishonoured when men wish that God's Curse may light upon others sometimes on their very Children and nearest Relations sometimes on their Neighbours and sometimes on their Cattel Some profane wretches wish damnation to those they quarrel with yea even to themselves And how common is it to hear Men in their wrath wish the Pox or Plague or Hanging to their Neighbour or bidding the Devil take them Indeed they themselves seem to be possest by him whilst they vent this Language of Hell and do take the ready way to bring all manner of Curses both on their own Soul and Body Psal. 109. 17 18. This wicked Custom proceeds both from the want of the true fear of God in Men's Hearts and also from want of Kindness and Charity to one another of which I am next to speak a few words Next to the love of God above all the loving of our Neighbours as our selves is the great Duty of a Christian as our Saviour teaches in that same place Matth. 22. 39 40. And Love is said to be the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 8 9 10. Nothing more becomes a Disciple of Jesus Christ than to live in love and charity with all Men doing all the good we can to others but doing no manner of evil to any Read 1 Cor. 13. This is most frequently and strictly commanded in the Gospel and made the very badge and character of a Christian Joh. 13. 34 35. This makes us most like to our blessed Lord and Master who went about continually doing good both to the Souls and Bodies of Men even to the very worst of Men and his most bitter Enemies did he shew great charity and kindness And herein let us study to be like him to the utmost of our power If we have true love for all Men we shall then easily and readily perform all those Duties which we owe to them in the several places and relations wherein we stand of which I must not here go about to give a particular account But in general Husbands and Wives ought most entirely to love each other and study to render one another's Lives happy here and their Souls hereafter For if they live in discord and wrath they have an Hell upon Earth whilst they live and have reason to expect the eternal torments of Hell when they die Parents ought to love their Children and take due care of them both as to Soul and Body and Children ought to honour and obey their Parents and relieve them if they stand in need Masters must be gentle and kind toward their Servants and Servants must be faithful and obedient to their Masters even to the froward and severe Subjects must yield obedience to all the lawful Commands of their Rulers and patiently submit to what Punishments they inflict and upon no Pretence whatever may they rebel against them â—oâ— it is most expresly forbidden in Scripture and damnation threatned to those that are guilty Rom. 13. 1 2. And commonly Treason and Rebellion bring nothing but ruin and misery in this World as well as the next The People ought to esteem and love their Ministers to follow their godly Admonitions and Examples and afford them due Maintenance In brief we must carefully abstain from doing any injury to any Man of what rank or condition soever either in his Soul or Body his Estate or good Name but must be ever ready to do all manner of good to all Men according to our ability and opportunity And hereby we are to shew that we love our Neighbours as our selves by dealing with all Men so truly and justly so mercifully and kindly as we desire to be dealt with our selves This is the great Rule of the Gospel Matt. 7. 12. And by this Rule ought we to govern our selves in all our carriage toward others both in buying and selling and in our whole Conversation This is a very plain and easie Rule to walk by and is most just and equal and very large and comprehensive so that if a Man will honestly and faithfully attend to it he need not go far to seek for direction how to behave himself in most Cases that may happen betwixt him and his Neighbour Would I be reviled and slandered cheated and cozened beaten and hurt or any other way abus'd if not then let me not use another at this rate Would I be despis'd or derided for my faults or for my poverty and misfortune Would I not rather in reason desire to be kindly instructed assisted and relieved Thus then let me deal with my Neigbour and according to my power with meekness and true kindness instruct the ignorant reclaim the vicious and erroneous comfort the sad relieve the oppressed feed the hungry and clothe the naked Even those that are of a mean condition must be ready to help such as are in greater want than themselves The Man that lives by his Labour is not wholly excused from works of Charity Eph. 4. 28. The Widow's Mite is very acceptable to God and a cup of cold water shall not lose it's reward A willing charitable mind it is that God chiefly looks at and calls for and this the poorest may have if it be not their own fault And our Charity and Kindness is not only to be shewn to our Friends but to our very Enemies themselves We may not render evil for evil but must study to
overcome evil by doing of good If another strike us we may not strike again if he rail upon us and revile us we must not return the same ill Language but either by silence or by gentle and soft answers endeavour to appease his wrath For the Rule is not to deal with others as they deal with me but as I in reason desire to be dealt with and another Man's fault will not excuse mine If he do me an injury I must not be judge in my own Cause nor take upon me to revenge it but in weighty Cases may fly to the Magistrate for relief But upon no account whatever may we bear any grudge or hatred in our Hearts against any Man though never so wicked or never so much our enemy but we must pity him and pray for him that God would give him a better mind If ever we hope to find mercy with God and have our trespasses forgiven we must forgive those that offend us as we learn from the Lord's Prayer and many most plain places of Scripture See Matth. 5. 44 c. Matth. 18. 21. to the end Rom. 12. 14. to the end We must shew meekness and gentleness to all men and never willingly say or do any thing to provoke another to anger nor should we be easily provoked but very easily appeased and reconciled It 's very sad to consider what wretched and miserable Lives many of the poorer sort lead by their continual brawling and scolding quarrelling and contending with one another and sometimes when they have scarce Money to buy Bread they 'l throw it away in vexatious Law-Suits meerly out of Spite and Revenge And the People of this Rank ought especially to beware of envying those that are in better Condition than themselves We ought to have that true kindness and good will for all Men that we should be glad of their prosperity though we our selves be in affliction as on the other hand we ought to have great compassion for those in misery though we be in prosperity And let such that are in want take heed that their Necessities put them upon no unlawful Course for their Relief Particularly beware of stealing any thing though of a small value By degrees it 's to be feared you will go on to greater matters and so may bring your selves to shame and punishment in this World as well as that to come The best way to avoid this is to be very diligent in your lawful Calling as the Apostle directs in that place before named Eph. 4. 28. If you are not able to work it 's lawful to beg But by no means betake your selves to this lazy unprofitable Life of begging if you are able to subsist by any other lawful course He that will not work when he can deserves not to eat But rather than either steal or starve you may seek for Relief from your Neighbour's Charity But do not go about to deceive him by borrowing what you know you are never like to pay for this is downright cheating Rather deal plainly and make known your Necessities If you trust in God and do your duty he will take care of you And though you may be in straits sometimes yet still you will find a supply And to prevent your poverty let me especially warn you against that common bruitish sin of Drunkenness which brings both this and many other mischiefs along with it as I have before told you Indeed it hinders every thing that 's good and leads Men into all manner both of sin and misery This Vice it is that makes more Beggars than any other cause Wherefore if you have any regard to your Families any love to Soul or Body avoid all riot and excess Eat and drink moderately as may tend to keep you best in health and make you most fit for the service of God and your own Callings And lastly beware of that filthy sin of Whoredom which very often goes along with Drunkenness and as often brings the curse of God both upon Men's Bodies and Estates And to keep you innocent avoid idleness as well as intemperance And flie from all lewd and wicked company where you are in danger of being enticed and ensnared and do not so much as allow your selves in any unclean thoughts or desires nor in filthy Discourses or in any wanton carriage and behaviour For the preventing of all wickedness in this kind God hath allowed Marriage which is said to be honourable in all but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Hib. 13. 4. Wherefore let them who are in that state keep strictly true to their Marriage Vow And all both Married and Single preserve both Body and Soul so chast and pure that the holy Spirit of God may now dwell in their hearts and they may be fit to dwell for ever in the presence of the most holy God And thus I have briefly given you an account wherein consists that holiness of life to which all Christians are obliged by the Precepts of our Blessed Saviour and by their Baptismal Vow which binds them to keep his Precepts and to follow his Example who himself lived in the same holy manner that he taught and hath commanded all that say they abide in him to walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2. 6. The summ of all you have in few words which the Gospel teaches even that we should deny ungodliness and all wordly lusts and live soberly righteously and piously in the World Tit. 2. 11 12. And now let me again beseech you seriously to consider whether it has been your care to live such holy and good lives yea or no. And whereinsoever your Conscience does accuse you that you have neglected the duties God has commanded or committed those sins which he hath forbidden do you humbly acknowledge and confess the same to Almighty God with true godly sorrow for the same earnestly begging Mercy and Pardon for Christs sake who dyed on the Cross for sinners and through whom all that confess and forsake their sins shall find mercy Wherefore do you henceforward resolve by his Grace that you will forsake your sins and amend your lives and make it your chief business to keep Consciences void of offence toward God and Man not allowing your selves in any known sin nor in the wilful neglect of any known Duty Do not object against this and say that it is impossible to lead such an holy Life For thousands in the World of all Ranks and Conditions have done it in all Ages by the assistance of God's Grace which you shall never want if you seek it earnestly and improve it diligently And though there may at first be some difficulty in leaving an ill course yet by degrees it will grow easie and you will then find nothing so sweet and pleasant as Religion and Vertue And do not I beseech you fancy that it is not for poor people to think of being so Religious and godly that this is only for the Rich who have
little else to do Why will not you that are Poor have as much care of your own Souls as the Rich and study to be happy as well as they By this means you will be even with them yea much happier than they even in this life except they be Good as well as Great What is there in all I have said but even the poorest may perform if they have but a willing mind May you not love God and your Neighbour be sober and chast meek and humble pray to God and praise his name c. Nay is not this the much better way to keep you from poverty or to help you out of it Is it not much cheaper to live soberly and honestly than to live in Drunkenness and Whoredom and such like wastful sins Does it not cost you much more to go to Law for revenge than to forgive an injury One vice costs more the maintaining than ten vertues And I am confident more Families are brought to Poverty by gratifying their Lusts than by providing for their Children how many soever they be Is it not think you much better for your selves and Families to spend the Lords-day in Gods service both in publick and private than to wast your time and mony at the Alehouse Daily experience shows that it is not Religion but the want of it that makes Men poor and miserable Besides that such good People have Gods blessing and favours as I have already shewed and therefore hee 'l be sure to take care of them and theirs And pray do not think that you shall be saved meerly because you are poor For if you be Wicked and Ungodly you will certainly be miserable in the next World as well as this Lazarus was not saved because he was poor but because he was a pious good Man And on the other hand Dives was not damn'd for being rich but because he was luxurious and proud and wholly given up to pamper and adorn his Carcase Let me further warn you against two or three dangerous mistakes that harden many Men in their sins Beware of thinking that it 's enough for a Man to be baptized and keep his Church and go to Prayers and Sermons and sometimes to the Communion and say his Prayers in private that this is enough to prove him a good Christian and make sure of Salvation All this is very good but this will not serve turn except our hearts be so thorowly sanctified by the Grace of God that we do truly love God above all and set our hearts on the joyes of Heaven and love our Neighbours and be true and just in our dealings Temperate and Chast in our Conversation as is before described And this is the great end of Prayers Sermons and Sacraments to make us more and more holy in heart and life without which we shall be rather worse than better for them Matt. 7. 21 22 23. Be not so weak as to think you may be saved by a good belief alone by your faith in Christ and trusting in God without obedience to his Commands It is for Christ's sake only you are saved but he will save none but those who obey him Heb. 5. 9. And that only is true saving Faith which purifies the heart and produces obedience as you have heard before And since God has plainly told us that we cannot be saved without holiness if we take up a foolish confidence that we may be saved without it this is not trusting in God but in our own fancies and the Devils delusions We may safely trust in Gods promises but then let us see to perform the conditions and become such an humble holy people as he has promised for Christs sake to own and save Take heed also of mistaking the nature of Repentance as if it were only being a little sorry for our sins and crying to God for mercy and then all will be well though we go on still in our old ways But this is a most dangerous mistake For a Man never truly repents till he forsakes his sin and changes his course When the Drunkard becomes Sober and the Profane Man a devout Worshipper of God and so continues True Repentance changes the heart and life of the sinner And lastly Do not think it enough to forsake some sins and keep others to do some good duties and neglect others and then excuse your selves by saying it is your failing Every Man has his failing and this is mine So says the Drunkard and the Whoremonger and so says the angry Man when he Swears or Curses or gives bad language But such sins as are committed against knowledge and Conscience and continued from time to time when we have leisure to think beforehand and prevent them these are to be reckoned as wilfull sins not as failings Especially such gross sins as Drunkenness Whoredom common Swearing or Lying and the like are not to be reckoned as failings Indeed whatever sin a Man loves and pleads for and allows himself in is not a meer infirmity but a wilfull transgression A good Man hates all sin as he does sickness and strives and watches and prays against it He hates every false way and has a respect to all Gods Commands A true Christian must be an entirely good Man all of a piece A great matter I find it is with many people that they do no wrong to no body nor have any malice in their heart and therefore they think themselves in good condition God-ward But though this is one good part of our duty yet it is but a part We must also see that we do not wrong Almighty God and our own Souls by setting our hearts chiefly on this World by neglecting his Worship and Service by living in excess or uncleanness or any other known sin We must be both pious toward God loyal to our Prince just and charitable to our Neighbour humble and sober every way holy and good if we will approve our selves to be Christians indeed He that wilfully offends in one point and allows himself therein is guilty in effect of breaking the whole Law For he despises Gods authority and if he meets with the same temptation will commit any other sin And as is commonly and truly said in this case one Stab though but with a Pen-kife may wound a Man as mortally as twenty thrusts with a Sword so one sin loved and delighted in may damn a Mans Soul as well as a thousand James 2. 10. Having thus endeavoured briefly to remove your Objections and Mistakes I do now again in the last place come to enforce my Exhortation that you would seriously and stedfastly resolve to cast away every sin and most entirely devote your selves to the leading such a godly righteous and sober Life as you are bound to by your Christian Baptism If you are in dispute with your selves whether you should resolve upon it pray look over the Arguments before laid down and ponder them in your mind and then certainly you cannot
most convenient for me Give me such a Spirit of Piety and Devotion that I may take great delight in thy Worship and Service both in publick and private Fill me with such love to my Blessed Saviour and with such thankfulness for his love in dying for Sinners that I may go with more delight to the Holy Communion for the good of my Soul than to the richest Feast that is made for my Body Help me O God to shew my love to thy blessed Self by true love and charity to my Neighbours Make me tractable and obedient to my Governours both in Church and State peaceable and gentle toward all Men dealing with them so justly and truly as I my self desire to be dealt with Make me tender and compassionate and ready to do all the good I can to others and let thy Grace enable me freely to forgive those that do evil to me as I my self hope for mercy and forgiveness from thee my God And help me always to live soberly and temperately purely and chastly in Heart and Life and with great meekness and humility in the sense of my own unworthiness and manifold imperfections O Lord grant that my Heart may be fill'd with earnest longings and desires after those Graces which now with my lips I pray for and help me to shew my sincerity by diligent endeavours daily to grow in all Grace and goodness and to perfect Holiness in thy Fear Make me watchful over my self and all my ways that I may carefully avoid all occasions of sin and may check the first motions thereto in my own Heart Keep me always deeply sensible of thy Presence that I may walk humbly with thee my God and approve my self to thee in well-doing Wean my Heart from all things here below and prepare me for my departure hence into a better World Help me always to live in such a religious and holy manner as will be most for my comfort at Death and Judgment Strengthen my Belief of the precious Promises and dreadful Threatnings of the Gospel and let this Belief rule and govern me in my whole Conversation O that I may never be guilty of so much folly and madness as to lose the eternal and unspeakable joys of Heaven and throw my self into the eternal torments of Hell for any of the profits or pleasures of sin that are but for a moment Do thou O Lord by thy holy Spirit ever keep upon my mind such a fresh and lively sense of the reasonableness of Religion and of the mischief and folly of all sin and wickedness that no temptations of Satan no allurements of the World or the Flesh may hinder me from my Duty nor draw me into any known sin but do thou ever strengthen and assist me by thy Grace and guide me by thy Counsel till thou shalt bring me to thy self in Glory Neither do I pray for my self alone but for all Mankind beseeching thee to send the Light of thy Gospel into all the dark Corners of the Earth and grant that they who do enjoy it may walk in all holy obedience thereto Be merciful to these Kingdoms pardon our sins and reform us from them Heal all our divisions continue our mercies and make us truly thankful for them Bless the King's Majesty with the Royal Family and all those that are in authority under him and grant to me and all his Subjects grace to lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all godliness and honesty Bless the Ministers of thy holy Word and Sacraments and make them very diligent and very successful in their Endeavours Help us to bring forth such Fruit from the Blessings we enjoy that thy Gospel and the Ordinances thereof may be continued to us and to the Generations after us Shew mercy to all that are afflicted whether in Soul or Body and preserve those that travel on their lawful Occasions by Land or by Sea Bless all my Friends and Relations particularly all that belong to this Family and help us all to live in the fear and love of thee our God and in peace and charity one with another Let thy blessing and good presence be with me thy unworthy Servant now and at all times at my down-lying and up-rising in my going out and coming in be thou my God and my guide even to the death and my eternal portion when time shall be no more And accept O God of my unfeigned desires to bless and raise thy glorious Name for all thy Mercies and Favours to my self and to all Men. I bless thee for my Reason and Senses my Health and Strength Food and Raiment and all the Comforts of this Life but above all I praise thee for thine inestimable love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for all the means of Grace and for the hope of Glory And I beseech thee give me that due sense of all thy Mercies that my Heart may be unfeignedly thankful and that I may shew forth thy praise not only with my lips but in my life by giving up my self to thy service and by walking before thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my Life through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose most holy Name and Words I continue to pray as he hath taught us in his Gospel saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with me now and evermore Amen FINIS