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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B05977	The map of the little world, illuminated with religion being a practical treatise, directing man to a religious scope, and right measure, in all the periods of his life; with devotion suitable. To which is added an appendix, containing a gospel ministers legacie, in some sermons, upon 2 Pet. 1. 12, &c. / By Patrick Strachan minister of the gospel at St. Vigeans.	Strachan, Patrick, fl. 1693.	1693 (1693)	Wing S5775A; ESTC R184656	117,746	314

settling of your Family and the Education of yo● Children I have already discoursed 〈◊〉 that now it remains principally that y●● be instructed in your present duty A●● for this there be these things worthy 〈◊〉 your enquiry and observation First W● Product and fine your work is come to both as your generall and particular Calling 2ly W●● course ye are upon as to the setting forth 〈◊〉 religious and rational settlement of the Childr● that God has given you 3ly If you have religio● disposed of all your spiritual and secular Con●●n to good and holy Ends. § 2. First In this Course of thy lif● its time to stand and pause look about yo● behind you and before you its high ti● now to know where ye are and what y●● are and if ●e have gathered any Stock Grace and Vertue and in fine what the Product of your general and particula● Calling § 3. And for the Resolution of the first Q●ere thou must look what thou has done since every one must give an account of himself to GOD and thou knows not how soon Yea thô thou should neglect GOD hath a Register Let conscience therefore read the legend of thy life seriously digest the scenes acts thereof that so thou may attain to some clearness as to thy state and case and be the Better prepared for following duties and tryals To think on thy former wayes Psal● 119. 59. Re●apitulate and Recognize thy former doings that thou mayest take a more serious account of thy errors failours and ●ollies that you May retract what is amiss and it is high time now seriously and un●eignedly to Repent and to correct what hath been wrong to put your self in a better dress for your following Life and for Death and Judgement which are to follow that And if thou has been so happy by Grace to do any Good you are to keep warm the Nursery of your Vertues Take the little Foxes that hurt the Vineyard and seek to serve GOD with full purpose of Heart and a settled and solid Course of Duty And if thou lean upon GODS Direction and not to thine own Understanding The LO●● hath fully shewed thee what 〈◊〉 good Mic 6. 8. And here it will be very pertinent for thee to regrate thy former ●●rayings and sad omissions O 〈…〉 rmer life is but like a Dream Learn therefore O man to be sober and Vigilant and build suitable Work Work out your Salvation and by the diligent use of the means and practice of Vertue Make your Calling and Election sure Look to the frame of thine Heart the state of thine Affairs and the Case of your Family and particular Calling And do not satisfie thy self so as not to acknowledge that thou might have done more than thou has done and to take that Check from the Apostle that Whereas ye might have been teachers of others ye had need to be taught the first principles of the Oracles of GOD Heb 5. 12. If a Man now be scrious he will easily see great blanks in his Life And great emptiness in what he has done particularly as to Devotion and Charity Which our LORD declares will be a great Charge against the World in that day he will Judge it And if thou will be convinced thou shall find that thou has much adoe that the most part does less than they should do for there is much Work behind thee to undoe To put away all superfluety of naughtiness as St. James sayeth Jam 1. 21. we cannot indeed get Yesterday again nor undo sin once done but there is yet time for thee to take such wise measures as to undo thy sins by Repentance and make up thy failoures through Faith in the perfect satisfaction of Christ who sayes himself I have done the work which Thou gavest me to do Joh 17 5. § 4. 3ly Look how thou hast ordered thy family the oeconomy whereof if it be guided by Grace and Peace doth very much advance Religion and Humane society for if Families were walking in the clear Orb of Religion it would lay the foundation of Righteousness in a Nation if the Husband were dutiefull to the Wife of his bosom and the Wife respectfull to the Husband of her Youth if the Children were obedient to their Parents and the Parents carefull for the spiritual and secular concerns of their Children if the servants were dutiefull to their Masters and the Masters gave what is just and right to them then would a golden Age revive and the Land shine as a lamp and especially if the Parents labour to ripen their Children to Religion and Vertue and to settle them in a course of life that may tend to contentment and by all means labour to promote love peace and comely order of the●r station and of the Church of GOD that from their house as a Bethel● they go up to the Temple and there receive instruction and offer sacrifice and return home with the b●●ssing of the Gospel of peace and that it be the great care of younger elder to shun idleness unnecessary digressions ill company divisive destructive Employments having such a great work adoe as to commend Religion by their ways and walk worthily in their Generation The Prayer LORD who knows his errors cleanse thou me from secret and known sins I know enough of my self to humb●e me But thy Eyes which are as flames of fire sees more in me than I can observe Accept Good LORD the humble designes I have had to do well and pity my faint performance make up my wants through him who is perf●ct in whom thou aquiesces and I repose I find great dissatisfaction in any thing in me that has been contrary to thy Eternal will and holy word LORD now I aim no lower than to center my soul in thee I have been but too slow give me the wings and alacrity of an Angel to do thy will I can never be well till I be at thee O help me GOD. Amen Period third Of the future Age or what is to come in the Declensions of Nature And the Stages thereof MAN is now to be looked upon as enterring his declining Age For as he riseth in his Youth and maketh progress in the Augment of his Life from the 30 year thereof to the 50 So hath he much adoe when he begins to hang his Head and to decline from the 50 year of his Age to the End His gloss and sprightful Feature is now much failed and he looketh out with the aspect of old Age And gray hairs are here and there upon him Hos 7. 9. And except some be swelled with a load of Flesh and have a Ruddy Tincture from the Cup and there are others that do Remain longer undecayed through a more vigorous Constitution yet shall they begin to find some declining in all the Organs and therefore from what we have seen in our by gone time and what we see in our selves and others We may

be diligent since we know not the hour § 7 It cann●t then be impertinent seriously to warn the World to look to the Periods of their Life Which is the great Scope and Design of the following Treatise to lead the Christian through the Labyrinth of Life that he may well consider how short his time is with the Psalmist Psal 86. 47. And follow the Threed of the Word of GOD to direct him in all the Stages and Periods of his Life which is here set before thee in the following Periods Period first Of our Beginning and bygone Life and the Stages thereof Period second Of our present Time and the State of Our Growing Age and the several Stages thereof Period third Of the future Age or what is to come in the Declensions of Nature and the Stages thereof With a Vale to the WORLD Period first Of our beginning and bygone life and the Stages thereof MAn's Age is but a Span and but an Instant 'twixt our birth and our death Man comes to the World and knows not how and goes to a World of Eternity and knows not when He lives he groans he acts awhile and dyes And it takes a great part of the short Span of his time ' ere he well know where he is how he is and what he hath to do He lives long the life of a Brute as it were without reason It 's fit then when he begins to reflect to act as a rational Creature that he consider what he is and review the bygone time Yesterday can not be brought back But time may be Redeemed His life is but a dream yet he may gather some good out of it When he awakes if he consider The Prayer ANd Thou O LORD who only Remains unchangeable in all the stages and Changes of time and the inexpressible permanence of Eternal ages World without end Fix the heart of unconstant Man upon thee alone Our Soul is the Daughter of an high House Give us Grace with the Psalmist to say unto thee LORD thou art my LORD Psal 16. 2. Keep us O GOD in thy Name and make us pure and clean to be fit for Thee Keep our Immortal Soul in life and still upon wing to Flee to its Center and repose for where shall it Flee to be happie but to Thee thou only has the words of Eternal Life O JESV the Powerful attractive of Hearts who makes all Generous Souls sigh after thee draw us to thee for this is our Rest and only repose which sweetneth all the acerbities of time and Bitterness of this World here will we dwell for ever and If we Change upon the Wheel of time we roll indeed but in Thee we can not be moved nor Removed Amen Come I now to consider the stages and several Tu●ns of the first Period of our Life STAGE First The Contents OF the Formation and Production of the Infant of the propagation of the Soul and of sin of Infant Baptism and the right that the Children of Church Members have unto it The duty to be extended to Infants as Care Provision Prayer for them to study their Nature and Humour and acting accordingly Grave example and a serious timeous dedication of them to GOD which for more distinct clear uptaking thereof shall be considered by a Particular account of the purpose and d●ctrine of the first Stage in the first period of our life § 1. Let Naturalists and Ancient or modern Masters of Medicine discourse of the Formation of the Child in the womb Job and the Royal Psalmist draweth this unseen Embryo best with a Divine Pencil Job 10. 8. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me together round about thou hast fashioned me as the Clay Has thou not powred me out as Milk and croudled me as Chees Thou hast Clothed me with Skin and Flesh and fenced me with Bones and Sinews And Psal 139. from 13. Thou hast possessed my Reins thou hast covered me in my Mothers Womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made and Curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when yet there was none of them Man 's a wonder before the World see him lying in the dark Cells of the womb and if he consider from what he Flows and his little Chamber in the womb and how nourished there It may humble him he flows from Blood and lives on Blood and dwells amongst Blood and Ordurs Thy very nature may humble thee For as it proves the Wisdom and power of the GOD of Nature who can extract a quintessence out of Dullest matters so doth it bid thee look unto thy Original All the Earth being of one Blood Acts 17. 26. And there being no differance 'twixt the Prince and the Peasent and that GOD who teacheth Art to extract Rarities who by nature brings Silk from a Worm a Pearl from a Shell and precious Minerals from Dust and Rubbish doth make this Raritie Man Ex Humo Eccle. 12 7. For Dust thou art and to Dust thou shalt return thou comes from the womb and goes to thy long home the Grave If thou boast of thy Pedigree Go to the House of Rottenness and look to the worms that makes thy Flesh to shrink and learn to confess with Abraham that thou art Dust and Ashes Gen 17. 28. And with Job abhor thy self in Dust and Ashes Job 42. 6. And if thou shall consider that thou art not only Dust but fallen in the Dust and comes forth with a Contaminate Blood dying in thy sin and no Eye pitying thee Ezek 16. 1. it may further abase thee and not suffer thee to be proud when thou lyest in the Dunghill all besmeared with filth and uncleanness Consider then thy rise and thy fall and learn to be humble else thou art proud of nothing or worse than nothing § 2. Next As to the Propogation of the Soul and how the dust body comes to be animated not only with vital spirits but with a rational Soul I shall leave the curiousity of this also to Philosophers For altho some will have the Soul ex traduce because if not so Man doth not beget a perfect Man and commonly Children Patriscent follow the ill of the Parents and they are Father-like there is not only vitium Gentis familiae of the Nation and Family but also personae of the Person Yet its safest to joyn with the universal Church that the soul is infused according to that of St. Aug Creando infunditur infundendo Creature By creation it is infused and by the infusion of the Soul it is created And this common Vote is not infringed by the sentiments of some Private Men For although Man begetteth not a Soul yet he begets a spiritu● Organ and Embryo disposed for the Soul a● so doth he begett Man Virtually And the Scripture favours this Infusion as Solomon sayeth Dust shall return to Dust and the spirit to

their phansie who deny CHRIST's Offices Ministers Ordinances and Institutions will be so bold as to contradict it And therefore it concerns Parents Religiously to go about the Baptism of their Children and remember the great obligation they stand under for their pious Education And of Children baptized to reflect upon it when they come to any Knowledge and to improve it well by the Instruction of their Parents and Tutors whose serious Instructions grave Example and earnest Prayer for Young Ones may help to instill and drop in such Counsels into their easie and blank minds as may leave some Relish as a Vessel may still keep something of the tast and smell of the first liquor according to that Ancient observe quo semel est imbuta c. and this stage of our life may be reckoned to the fourth year of our Age. STAGE Second The Contents Of the particular care of Parents and Governours as to Children from four years old to twelve of studying their nature and genious and the in●●●ling and droping in some clear and common principles of Religion with the consideration of Regeneration and when the Children come to be about twelve years of age of their solemn Confirmation § 1. As the Children grows so should the care of their Parents increase towards them its dangerous to suffer the evil of their Nature to take rooting for then it will turn tenacious and obstinate it 's better to take the little Foxes that hurt their tender Gardens Cant. 2. 6. and by Religious conduct use the best means to Eradicate the corruption of their Nature and to correct that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and disorder that is naturally in them by frequent and gradual dropping of good counsel into their hearts especially by fixing in them the common notion of a GOD and fearing of Him of honouring their Parents And withal to acquaint them with their Baptismal Dedication and in as much as is possible to open up unto them the m●sterie of their redemption through Jesus Christ and that not only they know to Repeat the Law the Creed and Lords Prayer But also to make them according to their capacitie to understand these Thus entereth Knowledge into their Hearts as a little Drop by frequent falling makes a cavity and hollowness in the stone § 2. Although the Spirit of GOD the Author of Regeneration like the wind bloweth when where and how he pleases Joh. 3. v. 8. And calleth some sooner some later yet is it not improper to set it down here for that same LORD that Blessed Babs can Sow the Seed of Grace in their Hearts And of this Regeneration I shall only remember Man of the Necessity Nature and Evidence thereof First as to the necessity Our Saviour is very positive Job 3. v. 2. and 3. Except a man be Born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of GOD and no outward exercise of Religion can avail us without the New Creature the Old-man must be Crucified and the New-man formed and Nurished ere we can be fit for the Kingdom of GOD. And 2ly We cannot better take up the Nature of it than by considering the Author and the manner of his Operation in producing this Work It is only the Spirit of GOD that doth it so is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3. 8. Of His own Will begatt He us that we should be a kind of first Fruits of His Creatures Jam 1. 18. This New Creature then is clearly the Product of the Spirit of GOD Who doth this work mediatly by the use of means especially by the Word o● Truth and other holy Engines that he is pleased to make use of Yet is not this Work produced of any means but by the concurse of the principal Agent the Word illuminats and perswads but there 's more then Moral Swasion in this Work for GOD's promise in the Covenant is to put his Laws in our inward parts Jer 3. 33. They receive by their Conversion a heavenly seed which abideth in them that will not suffer them to sin as the wicked do John 3. 9. Whosoever is born of GOD doth not commit sin for His seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he is born of GOD. Yet as to the production of this new Creature it may be so secret for a time like the Infant in the Womb so clouded and over-powr'd by Temptation and Corruption that it doth little appear and it takes a long time ere it become perfect in degrees and visibly compleat as to parts althô the Child tho little and weak is potentially a perfect man Parents then and Governours should with St. Paul travel in birth till Christ be formed in their Children 3ly As to its Evidence the Apostle manifests it fully 2 cor 5. 17 Behold all things are become New The man is wholly renewed in Quality tho not in Substance so that he may very well say Ego non sum ego He hath a more generous spirit with Caleb a better heart with David a more shinin● face with Moses and the lips of the Righteous feed many And tho no man ca● make this Change yet is he exhorted to make him a new heart Ezek. 18 31. Th●● is to use the means and well to consider that the spirit of GOD begets this ne● Creature by the word of Truth Jam 1 18 That such may be a kind of first fruits of H●● Creatures and for himself to show forth● His praise Who hath called them from darkness to Light § 3. It is very promotive of Grace also when Children comes to this state of Life that they be Confirmed after they can give any account of their Creed and of their Prayers according to the Blessed Pattern The LORDS Prayer For we read frequently in the Acts of Confirming the Disciples after they were Prose●●ted to the Christian Religion whereby the new Plantation was fixed and by a sort of personal Covenanting with GOD they were Engaged to His Service by their Voluntar Consent This is the practice of the Universal Church Which if simply done and not elevated unto a Sacrament is laudable and promotive of the Ends of Religion And tho it be quarrelled with by some in this Nation Yet if it could be got well done in every particular Parish Since the Bishop may not be alwayes Vacant it may be thought no Disorder for the Parish Minister every year as Occasion offers to do this in the presence of the Parents and famous Witnesses personally and particularly to joyn them to the LORD And if there were not alas too great incuriousness about matters of Religion a mean so helpful to the ends thereof may be put in use So to conclude this Point I shall Reinforce my earnest Exhortation to Christian Parents in behalf of their Children for this particular instance of their Care for their Souls and to remember Gospel Ministers of their duty as to this And since through the unsetledness of the Times it can

to Families of good Accounr And talk much of his Labours and losses When possibly he hath either hid his Talent in idleness or profusly spent it in superfluities Not but that a vertuous Man may come to misfortnne but many misguide their Fortune and make themselves unfortunate Which ordinarly is attended with want of the Exercise of Religion And such a Man whatever be his pretences in 〈◊〉 evil sense he cares not for to Mor●● what ever be his descent he carries 〈◊〉 Character of one useless in his generati●● that hath not made Right use of M●●mon to fit him to serve GOD nor co●●fortable to himself and useful to his ●●neration But the other who has walk●● in a solid way as to Religion and frug●●ly in his Calling he is known in 〈◊〉 Streets as a vertuous and honest Man 〈◊〉 poor Bless him He is a Boaz or a Jo● 〈◊〉 his Generation His Children hono●● him his house shines and all the Co●●trey about him respect him 2. Th●● the proper time of your labour and di●●gence and if thou do well now thou sh●● have more ease and eat the fruit of t●● labour hereafter and as it will prove t●● solid engagment with GOD and that t●● work is both well founded and th●● vertue advanced hitherto So if th●● miscarry in this Period it is to 〈◊〉 feared thou will not do well hereafter Except thou vainly think to recover thy loss by late Repentance and do thy work when thou cannot do any Leave not thy bussiness to a peradventure 〈◊〉 upon the Rock which cannot be moved make sure your interest Spiritual and ●ecular not by Dreams but by vertue since this is the high time for your bussiness thou may be shortly put Ab agendo And as the well doer now eats the Fruit of his labour hath his family in a right frame and his Children round about his table Psal 28. 3. So hath he a nearer Prospect of Heaven and if he hath any thing of the generous Spirit of Caleb and Joshua he may get a tast of the first fruites of the promised land and a Viaticum to carry him through his declining age and shall find one grape of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer and by experience Know that Religion and vertue as it hath praise in the work so giveth joy in the end The Prayer LORD there is much of my course run out tho it be not finished and when I look back I find that I have lived under the shaddow of death I have sleeped too long in the morning and slumbered in the Noon of my Age and even have been lasie in the afternoon I desire to awake CHRIST be my life and light I have been dreaming through the dulness of my flesh and sense Alas this clod of flesh hath almost smuthred me and made me slugish But in Thee O LORD I can only thrive LORD give me Grace to do my best in time and wait till Th● loose my fetters not that I through Dispondenc● would go out of the World but wait thy leisu●● and be kept from the evil of the World and 〈◊〉 as well as I can for Eternity Amen COURSE Second The Contents An Application to Persons of Higher and Me●● Stations with an declaration what the pr●● duties of each of these are beside the com●● instances of Religion with means and moti●● s●●retly twisted in with the several discour●● § 1. ALthough this Treatise hath●● yet had the Utterance to ●●ress Persons but only to mention and p●●pose the evils and the duties of the by●● Stages of our Life leaving it to Men all Ranks if they shall peruse 〈◊〉 to make application themselves Yet hope it shall not be judged impertin●● ere I leave this pregnant stage of our liin all humility to adress four ranks ● Men. 1. The Nobilitie and persons of Quali●● 2ly The Gentry 3ly The Clergy 4ly 〈◊〉 Commons First The Nobility § 2. If it may be pertinent to interrupt ●our honours I would adventure to speak in behalf of GOD and your splendour to show you in this Map how Religion doth illuminate your Sphere to make you as St. Luke calls Theophilus Most excellent for it is not unknown to you that you are under a higher Elevation than a great many about you And that it is so with you by the disposition of Providence who might have infused your Soul in an Embrio of your meanest vassels and Tennants But the LORD hath brought you to this Earth with more splendor and made you personages of honour and quality to get respect and deference from others yet there is no respect of persons with God your high places puts you in a greater Arreer and makes you lyable to the searching Eye of the Almighty and the more you have received from GOD above others you have the more to account for to Him and your Coronet will be rather a blemish than a Ray of honour if your eminency be nor fixed on the Rock and your life set your place and tho your elevated s●tion hath put you above many for did a●● sore Employes yet are ye the more o● noxious to snares and Temptations fo● ye guide not well your hearts will s●●● with pride and ambition and your he●● plod your ruin and your hands beco●● heavy to oppress altho that you be put 〈◊〉 a higher Sphere yet your difficulties to 〈◊〉 truly Religious may be stronger for 〈◊〉 many mighty not many noble are called saye●● St. Paul 1 Gor. 1 26. Which is 〈◊〉 written to seclude you but to make yo● circumspect and that according to 〈◊〉 Prophet You be taught not to glory 〈◊〉 your power seing that the subtile ene●● that assailed the first Man and King 〈◊〉 Mankind will not ●ease to pursue yo● over whom by reason of your fallen N●● ture he hath greater advantage that 〈◊〉 the frogs in Aegypt entered Pharaohs Chamber the serpent may slily slide into your● and defile your well garnished Room and craul into your decked bed and di● vide 'twixt you and your honorable Co●● sort and put your family out of Frame § 3. With this Advertisement Re● member that as GOD hath made you great He expects great things from you● ●d ye will felicifie your high place by ●inning with Rayes of Religion which ●hall further particular ●i●e in a fourfold ●espect First Your personal Capacity ●y Your Domestick demeanure 3ly How 〈◊〉 behave in your Religion as to the Ministers ●d Institutions of Christ 4ly As to the Coun●ey and Common Wealth whereof you are Peers ●d Patriots .. First Your Persenal Capacity § 4. Beside ●ll unquestionable Duties ●ncumbent to Christians of all Ranks it 〈◊〉 particularly required of you to be emi●ent in some peculiar personal Properties Abraham shined in his Faith and Obedi●nce Isaac in his Contemplations Jacob ●n his Power with GOD Moses in his Meekness Joseph in his Chastity Job in ●is Righteousness and Honesty Joshuah in his Courage Caleh in his Generous

Heart with the Salt of Grace and make me to grow in Grace Imprint O LORD upon the Table of my Heart the A B C of Christianity teach me to know Love Fear Choice and Obey Thee give me to savour something of Reason and Religion in my ruder Age that I may mind my moment not trifle my time away abou● things of no moment Pardon and heal the corruption of my nature and the Vices of my person give me the new Heart in my younger dayes take away all Impediments and prejudices at Vertue and Religion And so shape sharpen and Sanctifie me that I may become an Instrument of Thy Glory and be prepared for Duty in the following Periods of the Life that thou shalt grant me Amen Devotion in order to Youth to be Exercised on Tuesday NOw Blessed GOD thou hast enlarged me from the bondage of None-Age the yoak of Discipline Keep me under thy Discipline For thy yoak is easie and thy commands are not grievous I am now lifted up to the Prime of my Age LORD make me steddy by Thy Grace that I do not turn giddy and stagger When I look back I find I have been Childish in mind as well as body What dark conceptions have I had of thee And any little spark of Grace was smuthered with a Mass of corruption the Brute in me much mastered it How raw and rude were my Notions of Religion And how contracted and deadned was my Conscience I was almost in all evil and knew it not and much under the Senses and sensitive Appetite The root of all evil was in me and I was content with my pleasant Fetters and were not Thy Mercy Thou hadst fully cast me off the Stage as a miscreant unworthy to live Yet LORD thou hast brought through all this dark trance of Childhood 1 Kings 18. 26. Save me from youthful lusts and grant mewith Obadiab that I may fear thee from my youth purge me from the Dregs of Nature Let them not fix in my Bones least in fuller years I ●e made to possess the sins of my Youth Jo●● 20. 11. Make me vigorous to engage under the Banner of CHRIST to fight against the infernal Trinity the devil the world and the Flesh and own the Holy TRINITY Blessed for ever Give me to offer the first fruits of my Life to Thee LORD make me to relish the sweetnes● of Vertue above all the pleasures of the World and pardon the Errors of my Youth Psal 25 11. and so ballast and establish me with Grace that I may lanch out unto a longer Life and not make shipwrack of Faith and good Conscience but have Thy Word for my Pilote Thy Spirit for my Star Humility for my Ballast the Gail of Grace to fill the Soul of my Affections Thy Glory for my End and Eternal Life for my Harbour Through JESUS CHRIST My LORD Amen 3ly Devotion As to our Entrance to a ●alling and Relation to be exercised on Wednesday O GOD of Love the Father of all sweet Harmony and Peace and the great Proveditor of Man Thou hast made him a Sociable Creature and hast united Mankind in a Society as Members of one Body Thou hast ordained him to live by his own Industry in the use of the Means which by Thy Blessing tends to his Provision As Nature abhores Vacuity so Thou O LORD abhores Idleness and hath given a particular Vocation to Man for Vertue LORD make me religious in my general Calling as a Christian and frugall in my particular Calling grant me the composed Wisdom to make choice of a Helper like unto Me let neither Lightness ●ondness nor carnal phansie be the principle and measures of my Affection and choice let the Advice and council of those whom I ought to follow be consulted and bless me with such purity in my Design that if by Thy Allowance I enter into a conjugal State I may ascend that bed with Innocence and Whiteness without the very knowledge of the carnal Tricks of Sin and Satan And when entered● to entertain a constant Conjugal Affection to the wife or Husband of my Youth and if ever I have escaped in the least wash me throughly and Cement our Relation with the Endearments of the best Bond that our Family may be a Bet●el to Thee Make our Calling Honest and Creditable and wherein we may be usefull to Thee and if Thy Providence hath brought us to Fortunes give us to consider that Thou wilt only honour them that honour Thee make us usefull in our Generation in the Stations Thou hast put us and may we with all Descretion pursue the Ends of our General and particular Calling to Thy Glory and our Comfort Amen Fourthly Devotion for our Riper years to be exercised on Thursday O Eternal Life and Action who dwells in a perpetual Repose grant me in all my Actions to aim Thee and repose in Thee and since now I must resolve with Action having not only the charge of my self but of a Family grant me to be active to what is accountable and agreeable for the increase of my Talents and the Improvement of the opportunities of my Time and Station Save me from vexing cares and doubtful a●xiety but grant me rational and providential Ca●e in the diligent Use of the Means Help me to Cast all my Care upon Thee 1 Pet 5 7. And as to dist●ust to be careful for nothing Save me from all impertinent and destructive digresions and let me never be worse than an Infidel in not providing for my Family and grant me O LORD Thy Blessing without which my ●arly and late Endeavours will not profit us Save me from all wrong measures in the Improvement of my Stock knowing that A little that the Righteous Man hath is better th●n the Treasures of the wicked For thou can turn my Mite into Talents Give me to seek the Kingd●m of GOD and mind the one Thing necessary without which all bussiness is but trouble give me to win my Soul and do Good in my place and time that when I cease from my labours I may enter into the Repose of everlasting Rest Through JESUS CHRIST my LORD Amen 3ly Devotion For our Declining Age on Friday O Uncha●geable GOD the same to Day Yesterday for ever the whole Creation hath been is and will be under a Decay untill the Deliverance of the Children of GOD. Our Life is but a vapour and a shadow the World so weights us that man begins to Decline ere he well consider that he lives Help O LORD my bowing and declining age give me to ●loath my self against the Winter and fill me well against a troubled Sea LORD give me to superstruct well upon solid Foundations to build my House upon a Rock 'T is time for me now to be wise since I have seen and done so much folly I will not choice the World for my portion it is Thee O LORD and Thee only as the Cen●er and Repose of my