Conscience bear witness against thy Sin and tell thee that a holy Life is best regard not the Gain-sayings of a Bediam World which is drunk with the Delusions of the Flesh But give up thy Soul and Life to God by Jesus Christ in a faithful Covenant Delay no longer Man but resolve Resolve immediately resolve unchangeably And God will he thine and thou shalt be his for ever Amen Lord have Mercy on this Sinner and to let it be resolved by thee in him II. The Parts and Practice of a Holy Life for Personal and Family Instructions ALL is not not done when men have begun a Religious Life All Trees that blossom prove not fruitful and all Fruit comes not to perfection Many fall off who seemed to have good Beginnings And many dishonour the Name of Christ by their Scandals and Infirmities Many do grieve their Teachers Hearts and lamentably disturb the Church of Christ by their Ignorance Errors Self-conceitedness Unruliness Headiness Contentiousness Sidings and Divisions Insomuch that the Scandals and the Feuds of Christians are the great Impediments of the Conversion of the Infidel and Heathen World by the exposing Christianity to their contempt and scorn as if it were but the Error of men as unholy and worldly and proud as others that can never agree among themselves And many by their Passions and Selfishness are a Trouble to the Families and Neighbours where they live And more by their Weaknesses and great Distempers are Snares Vexations and Burdens to themselves Whereas Christianity in its true Constitution is a Life of such Holy Light and Love such Purity and Peace such Fruitfulness and Heavenliness as if it were accordingly shewed forth in the Lives of Christians would command Admiration and Reverence from the World and do more to their Conversion than Swords or Words alone can do and it would make Christians useful and amiable to each other And their Lives a Feast and pleasure to themselves I hope it may prove some help to these Excellent Ends and to the securing Mens Salvation if in a few sound Experienced Directions I open to you the Duties of a Christian Life I. Keep still the true Form of Christian Doctrine Desire and Duty orderly printed on your Minds That is Understand it clearly and distinctly and remember it I mean the Great Points of Religion contained in Catechisms You may still grow in the clearer understanding of your Catechisms if you live an hundred Years Let not the Words only but the Matter be as familiar in your Minds as the Rooms of your House are Such solid Knowledge will establish you against Seduction and Unbelief and will be still within you a ready Help for every Grace and every Duty as the Skill of an Artificer is for his Work And for want of this when you come among Infidels or Hereticks their Reasonings may seem unanswerable to you and shake if not overthrow your Faith And you will easily err in lesser Points and trouble the Church with your Dreams and Wranglings This is the Calamity of many Professors that while they will be most censorious Judges in every Controversie about Church-matters they know not well the Doctrine of the Catechism II. Live daily by Faith on Jesus Christ as the Mediator between God and you Being well-grounded in the Belief of the Gospel and understanding Christ's Office make use of him still in all your Wants Think on the Fatherly Love of God as coming to you through him alone and of the Spirit as given by him your Head and of the Covenant of Grace as enacted and sealed by him and of the Ministry as sent by him and of all Times and Helps and hopes as procured and given by him When you think of Sin and Infirmity and Temptations think also of his sufficient pardoninâ— justifying and victorious Grace When thou thinkest of the World the Flesh and the Devil think how he overcometh them Let his Doctrine and the Pattern of his most perfect Life be always before you as your Rule In all your Doubts and Fears and Wants go to him in the Spirit and to the Father by him and him alone Take him as the Root of your Life and Mercies and live as upon him and by his Life and when you die resign your Souls to him that they may be with him where he is and see his Glory To live on Christ and use him in every Want and address to God is more than a general confused Believing in him III. So believe in the Holy Ghost as to live and work by him as the Body doth by the Soul You are not baptized into his Name in vain but too few understand the sense and reason of it The Spirit is sent by Christ for Two great Works 1. To the Apostles and Prophets to inspire them infallibly to preach the Gospel and confirm it by Miracles and leave it on Record for following Ages in the Holy Scriptures 2. To all his Members to illuminate and sanctifie them to believe and obey this Sacred Doctrine beside his common Gift to many to understand and preach it The Spirit having first indicted the Gospel doth by it first regenerate and after govern all true Believers He is not now given â—s for the revealing of new Doctrines but to understand and obey the Doctrine revealed and sealed by him long ago As the Sun doth by its sweet and discreet Influence both give and cherish the natural life of things Sensitive and Vegetative so doth Christ by his Spirit our spiritual Life As you do no work but by your natural Life you should do none but by your spiritual Life You must not only Believe and Love and pray by it but manage all your Calling by it for Holiness to the lord must be written upon all All things are sanctified to you because you being sanctified to God devote all to him and use all for him and therefore must do all in the Strength and Conduct of the Spirit IV. Live wholly upon God as All in All As the first Efficient principal Dirigent and final Cause of all things Let Faith Hope and Love be daily feeding on him Let Our Father which art in Heaven be first inscribed on your Hearts that he may seem most amiable to you and you may boldly trust him and filial Love may be the spring of Duty Make use of the Son and Spirit to lead you to the Father and of Faith in Christ to kindle and keep alive the Love of God God's Love is our Primitive Holiness and especially called with its Fruits Our Sanctification which Faith in Christ is but a means to Let it be your principal End in studying Christ to see the Goodness Love and Amiableness of God in him A condemning God is not so easily loved as a gracious reconciled God You have so much of the Spirit as you have Love to God This is the proper Gift of the Spirit
to all the adopted Sons of God to cause them with filial Affection and Dependance to cry Abba Father Know not desire not love not any Creature but purely as subordinate to God! Without him let it be nothing to you but as the Glass without the Face or scattered Letters without the Sense or as the Corps without the Soul Call nothing Prosperity or Pleasure but his Love and nothing Adversity or Misery but his Displeasure and the Cause and the Fruits of it When any thing would seem lovely and desirable which is against him call it Dung And hear that Man as Satan or the Serpent that would entice you from him and count him but Vanity a Worm and Dust that would affright you from your Duty to him Fear him much but love him more Let Love be the Soul and End of every other Duty It is the End and Reason of all the rest but it hath no End or Reason but its Object Think of no other Heaven and End and Happiness of Man but Love the final Act and God the final Object Place not your Religion in any thing but the Love of God with its Means and Fruits Own no Grief Desire or Joy but a mourning a seeking and a rejoycing Love V. Live in the belief and hopes of Heaven and seek it as your Part and End and daily delight your Souls in the sore-thoughts of the endless Sight and Love of God As God is seen on Earth but as in a Glass so is he proportionably enjoyed But when mourning seeking Love hath done and Sin and Enemies are overcome and we behold the Glory of God in Heaven the Delights of Love will then be perfect You may desire more on Earth than you may hope for Look not for a Kingdom of this World nor for Mount Zion in the Wilderness Christ reigneth on Earth as Moses in the Camp to guide us to the 〈◊〉 and of the Promise Our perfect Blessedness will be where the Kingdom is delivered up to the Father and God is All in All. A Doubt or a strange heartless thought of Heaven is Water cast on the sacred Fire to quench your Holiness and your Joy Can you travel one whole day to such an End and never think of the Place that you are going to which must be intended in every righteous Act either notedly or by the ready unobserved Act of a potent Habit. When Earth is at the best it will not be Heaven You live no further by Faith like Christians than you either live for Heaven in seeking it or else upon Heaven in Hope and Joy VI. Labour to make Religion your Pleasure and Delight Look oft to God to Heaven to Christ to the Spirit to the Promises to all your Mercies Call over your Experiences and think what matter of high Delight is still before you and how unseemly it is and how injurious to your Profession for one that saith he hopeth for Heaven to live as sadly as those that have no higher hopes than Earth How should that Man be filled with Joy who must live in the Joys of Heaven for ever Especially rejoyce when the Messengers of Death do tell you that your endless Joy is near If God and Heaven with all our Mercies in the way be not reason enough for a joyful Life there can be none at all Abhor all Suggestions which would make Religion seem a tedious irksome Life And take heed that you represent it not so to others for you will never make them in love with that which you make theâ— not perceive to be delectable and lovely Not as the Hypocrite by forcing and framing his Religion to his carnal Mind and Pleasure but bringing up the Heart to a holy suitableness to the Pleasures of Religion VII Watch as for your Souls against this flattering tempting World especially when it is represented as more sweet and delectable than God and Holiness and Heaven This World with its Pleasures Wealth and Honours is it that is put in the Ballance by Satan against God and Holiness and Heaven And no Man shall have better than he chooseth and preferreth The Bait taketh advantage of the brutish part when Reason is asleep and if by the help of Sense it get the Throne the Beast will ride and rule the Man and Reason become a slave to Sensuality When you hear the Serpent see his Sting and see Death attending the forbidden Fruit When you are rising look down and see how far you have to fall His Reason as well as Faith is weak who for such Fools-gawds as the Pomp and Vanitles of this World can forget God and his Soul and Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell yea and deliberately command them to stand by What Knowledge or Experience can do good on that Man who will venture so much for such a World which all that have tried it call vanity at the last How deplorable then is a Worldâ—ings case Oh fear the World when it smileth or seems sweet and amiable Love it not if you love your God and your Salvation VIII Fly from Temptations and crucify the Flesh and keep a constant Government over your Appetite and Seâ—â—â—es Many who had no designed stated Vice or worldly Interest have shamefully fallen by the sudden surprize of Appetite or Lust When custom hath taught these to be greedy and violent like a hungry Dog or a lusting Bâ—ar it is not a sluggish Wish or Purpose that will mortify or rule them How dangerous a case is that Man in who hath so greedy a Beast continually to restrain that if he do but neglect his Watch one Hour is ready to run him headlong into Hell Who can be safe that standeth long on so terrible a precipice The Tears and Sorrows of many Years may perhaps not repair the loss which one Hour or Act may bring The â—ase of David and many others are dreadful Warnings Know what it is that you are most in Danger of whether Lust and Idleness or Excess in Meats or Drinks or Play and there set your strongest Watch for your Preservation Make it your daily Business to mortify that â—ust and scorn that your brutish Sense or Appetite should conquer Reason Yet trust not purposes alone but away from the Temptation Touch not yea look not on the tempting Bait keep far enough off if you â—esire to be safe What Miseries come from small beginnings Temptation leads to Sin and small Sins to greater and those to Hell And Sin and Hell are not to be played with Open your Sin or Temptation to some Friend that shame may save you from Danger IX Keep up a constant skilful Government over your Passions and your Tongues To this end keep a tender Conscience which will smart when in any of these you sin Let Holy Passions be well ordered and selfish carnal Passions be restrained Let your Tongues know their Duties to God and Man and labour to be skilful and
But who hath hardened himself against thee and hath prospered The whole Creation proclaimeth thy Perfection But it is Heaven where the Blessed see thy Glory and the Glory of our Redeemer where the Angels and Saints behold thee admire thee adore thee love thee and praise thee with triumphant joyful Songs the Holy Holy Holy God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who was and is and is to come Of Thee and through Thee and to Thee are all things To Thee be Glory for ever Amen A short Prayer for Families MOst Glorious Ever-living God Father Son and Holy Ghost Infinite in thy Power Wisdom and Goodness Thou art the Creator of all the World the Redeemer of lost Mankind and the Sanctifier of thine Elect. Thou hast made us living reasonable Soulâ— placed a while on Earth in Flesh to seek and know and love and serve thee which we should have done with all our Soul and Might For we and all things are Thine own and Thou art more to us than all the World This should have been the greatest Businesâ— Care and Pleasure of our Lives We were bound to 〈◊〉 by thy Law and invited by thy Love and Mercy and the Promise of a Reward in Heaven And in our Baptism we were devoted to this Christian Life of Faith and Holiness by a solemn Covenant and Vow But with Grief and Shame we do confess that we have been too unfaithful to that Covenant and too much neglected the Lord our Father our Saviour and our Sanctifier to whom we were devoted And have too much served the Flesh and the World and the Devil which we renounced We have added to our Original Sin the guilt of Unthankfulness for a Saviour and resisting his Spirit and Grace that should have renewed governed and saved us We have spent much of our Lives in fleshly and worldly Vanity and finfully neglected the greatest work of making a sure Preparation for Death and Judgment and our endless State In a Custom of sinning we have hardened our Hearts against thy Word and Warnings and the Reproofs of thy Ministers and of our Consciences that have oft told us of our Sin and Danger and called us to Repent And now O Lord our convinced Souls confess that we deserve to be forsaken by thee and left to our own lust and folly and to the deceits of Satan and untoendless Misery But seeing thou hast given a Saviour to lost Man and a pardoning Covenant through the Merits of Christ promising Forgiveness and Salvation to every true penitent Believer we thankfully accept thy offered Mercy and penitently bewail our Sin and cast our miserable Souls upon thy Grace and the Sacrifice Merits and Intercession of our Redeemer Forgive all the sins of our Hearts and Lives and as a reconciled Father take us as thy adopted Children in Christ O give us thy renewing Spirit to be in us a powerful and constant Author of Holy Light and Love and Life to fit us for all our Duty and for Communion with thee and for Everlasting Life And to dwell in us as thy Witness and Seal of our Adoption Let him be better to our Souls than our Souls are to our Bodies Teaching us thy Word and Will and bringing all our love and will to a joyful compliance with thy Will and quickening our dull 〈◊〉 drowsie Hearts to a Holy and Heavenly Conversation Let him turn all our sinful Pleasures and Desires into the delightful love of thee and of thy Ways and Servants Save us from the great Sins of Selfishness Pride and Worldliness and give us Self-denial Humility and a Heavenly Mind That while we are on Earth our Hearts may be in Heaven where we hope to live in thy joyfull Love and praise with Christ and all his Holy Ones for even Let us never forget that this Life is short and that the Life to come is endless That our Souls are precious and our Bodies vile and must shortly turn to rottenness and dust that Sin is odioâ—s and Temptationâ— dangerous and Judgment dreadful to unprepaved guilty Souls and that without a Saviour and his Grace and Spirit there is no Salvation Cause us to live as we would die and let no Temptation Company or Business draw us to forget our God and our everlasting state Lord bless the World and specially these Kingdoms â—ith Wise Godly Just and Peaceable Princes and â—nferiour Judges and Magistrates and guide protect â—nd prosper them for the common good and the proâ—oting of Godliness and suppressing of sin And blesâ—â—ll Churches with able godly faithful Pastors that are â—ealous Lovers of God and Goodness and the Peoples â—ouls And save the Nations and Churches from Opâ—essing Tyrants and Deceivers and from melignanâ— Enemies to serious Piety And cause Subjects to live in just Obedience and in Love and Peace Bless Families with wise religious Governours who will carefully instruct their Children and Servants and restrain them from Sin and keep them from Temptation Teach Children and Servants to fear God and honour and obey their Governours O Our Father which art in Heaven Let thy Name bâ— hallowed Let thy Kingdom comâ— Let thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven 〈◊〉 in this day our daily Breâ—d Forgive us our Trespasses as 〈◊〉 forgive them that Trespass against us Lead us not into Temptation but Deliver us from Evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen Before Meat MOst Gracious God who hast given 〈◊〉 Christ and with him all that is necessary to Life and Godliness We thankfully take this our Food as the Gift of thy Bounty procured by his Merits Bless it to the Nourishment and Strength of our frail Bodies to fiâ— us for thy chearful Service And save us from the abuse of thy Mercies by Gluâ—tony Drunkennesâ— Idleness or sinful fleshly Lusts for the sake of Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Lord. Amen After Meat MOst Merciful Father Accept of our Thanks for these and all thy Mercies And give us yet more thankful Hearts O give us more of the great Mercies proper to thy Children even by Sanctifying and Comforting Spirâ—â— assuâ—â—nce of thy Love thrâ—ugh Christ and a â—reasure and 〈◊〉 Conversation in Heaven And bring and keep 〈◊〉 in a constant readiness for a safe and Comfortable Death For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen FINIS a Mar. 8. 36. Mat. 6. 33. Job 21. 14. and 22. 17. Psal 1. 2 3. Psal 14. and 12. b Psal 8. 4 5 6. Gen. 1. 26 27 Gen. 9. 6. Col. 3. 10. c Joh. 17. 3. 1 Joh. 4. 6 7. Jer. 9. 24. d Luk. 12. 4 5. e Psal 16. 5 to 11. f Isa 45. 18. g Psal 14. 1. Gen. 1. 1. Rev. 1. 8. Rom. 1. 19. 20. Psal 46. 10. Psal 9. 10. Psal 100. and 23. Psal 19. 1 2 3. Psal 47. 7. Ezek. 18. 4. Gen. 18. 25. Mal. 1. 6. h Matth. 22. 37. Jer. 5. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. Titus 2. 14.