by the preaching of the Gospell 28 Q. How is this faith confirmed in thee A. By hearing the same Gospell preached and using the Sacraments 29 Q. What are Sacraments A. They are signes and seals of the righteousnesse of faith 30 Q. How many Sacraments are there A. Two onely Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Q. What benefit hast thou by Baptisme A. A new estate in Christ and so the forgivenesse of my sinnes if I repenting do believe according to the Covenant of Baptisme 32 Q. What benefit hast thou by the Lords supper A. The body and bloud of Christ verily and indeed taken and received by my believing soul 33 Q. How must thou reverently prepare for this Sacrament A. I must examine my self whether I have desire repentance faith thankfulnesse and charity fit for the Lords table 34 Q. Is not prayer an excellent means also to make thy faith grow A. Yes it is a speciall means appointed by God 36 Q. What is prayer A. A religious moving of our souls to God to draw us into communion with him against sin for grace and all blessings 37 Q. Where canst thou more fully learn the matter of prayer A. In that which is commonly called the Lords prayer 38 Q. What is the enterance into this prayer A. Our Father which art in heaven 39 Q. What is the first petition A. Hallowed be thy Name 40 Q. What is the second A. Thy Kingdome come 41 Q. What is the third petition A. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven 42 Q. What is the fourth Petition A. Give us this day our daily bread 43 Q. What is the fift petition A. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us 44 Q. What is the sixt A. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill 45 Q. What is the conclusion of this prayer A. For thine is the Kingdome the power and the Glory for ever Amen A briefer Catechisme to be opened at first Question GIve me the summe of Religion in one sentence A. A sinner being justified by faith is bound to live a godly life Here consider three things 1 Thy danger A sinner therefore subject to the miseries of this world and that to come 2 Thy deliverance Being justified by faith and therefore in Christ by the Covenant of grace for forgivenesse and all other things promised 3 Thy duty Is bound to live a godly life and therefore from Christ bound in the Sacraments to faith working by love Or more fully thus Q. Give me the summe of Religion in four words A. My Generation Degeneration Regeneration and Glorification Here thou must consider 1 What thou art from God A creature brought into the world from thy parents 2 What thou art in and from Adam A sinner subject unto all miseries even to the nether-most hell 3 What thou art in Christ A new creature delivered from the curses of the law that thou maist embrace the blessings of the Gospell 4 What thou art from Christ walkin a new course till thou comest unto Glory Or the words of Scripture thus Q. Tell me what is thy Religion A. 1 It is the faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godlines Tit. 1.1 2 It is my holding fast of the form of sound words which I have heard in faith and love 2 Tim. 1.13 3 It is all things pertaining to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.6 4 It is the knowledge and service of God 2 Chron. 28.9 5 It is faith working hy love Gal. 5.6 None of these descriptions are contrary either to other but subordinate and provided you comprehend under them what is necessarily to be believed and to be practised all is well TO His much Honoured Patronesse the Lady HONORIA NORTON of Southwick in Hantshire All happinesse here and here-after MAdam I must make my Apology before I say a word more I present a Catechism unto you who are able to instruct others and a mothers Catechism for her children when you have no children of your own under your instruction now This may seem strange to them that know not you to be to me a great encourager to this little work to them that are ignorant of your affections to a common good You have had experience of the power and profit of it in your family and in the Congregation over which you care and you will have me do some little good by it as you think to others that may see and use it The blessing of God be upon it and their blessing fall upon you if they receive good by it who have bin the main cause under God of my setting it forth I confesse that I have thus many yeares last past been solicited by many well minded people who have had the benefit of my private exercises to have let this unpolished birth to walk into many houses But being loath to hold out a little candle to a quick-sighted age or to prevent the more elaborate endeavours of my learned brethren I have shut it up rather in my head where it stuck by judgment and frequency then under my pen which is not so happy as my tongue in this kinde But now being overcome by your Ladyships entreating-commands and commanding favours I can hold it a prisoner no longer I let it loose from my head and heart to my pen and paper and from thence to every English soul to be either embraced or rejected according to present fansie If it prove un-successefull I 'le bear the blame who as an old man being ready to deny my self a being in this world have a little learned to deny my self in this and suffer words of diminution But if it prove acceptable to Christs Church and profitable to his meanest Members you Madam shall have the thanks and credit under whose wings it hath found leisure to be born I know that you will be cōmending it to some of your friends if not out of self-worth yet out of a conceit and expectation of some such like thing But I beseech you be wary To praise that which deserves it not may speak well of your affections but discommend your judgment and I would not have you engage where it may be a prejudice to you in the issue Indeed this little Treatise is a Catechism And whereas preaching is a speaking unto men to instruction 1 Cor. 14.3 Luk. 1.4 Act. 2. Mat. 22.37 Joh. 3.16 edification and comfort Catechising is a speaking to men for instruction mainly preaching is a dilating of one member of religion into a body Catechising is the contracting of the whole into a a sum Preaching is for all sorts Catechising for the yong and ignorant this may commend the work if the workman were answerable and as a Master-builder did lay the foundation But I know not how it fals out this Treatise is much in a little and that little derived from the capacitie of a mother to the
MILK FOR BABES OR A. MOTHERS CATECHISM for Her CHILDREN Wherein chief saving Principles of Christian Religion through the body of it fit first to inform Children in are 1 Propounded 2 Expounded 3 Applied The sum of which is set down in the following Pages Together with the Questions and Answers which are the grounds of the Catechism Whereunto also annexed THREE SERMONS Preached at Andrews Holborn at a publike Fast and at Covent-Garden upon severall occasions By ROBERT ABBOT Preacher of Gods Word at Southwick in Hantshire PSA 34.11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. LONDON Printed by John Legate for Philemon Stephens dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the gilded Lyon 1646. I Have perused this Catechism intituled Milk for Babes and these three Sermons on severall Texts And approving them as pious and profitable I license them to be printed and published IOHN DOWNAME The Sum of the following Catechism may be conceived thus IT speaks to a threefold state of ours Our estate 1 Of Creation Of which you may finde two points 1 Our Creatour who is 1 Confessed Q. 1. 2 Distinguished from the Sonne Q. 2. Holy Gh. Q. 3. 3 Described 1 By his unity in Trinity Q. 4. 2 By his Sufficiency Efficiency Q. 5. 2 His end in making us which is 1 Propounded Q. 6. 2 Amplified by the 1 Manner Q. 7. 2 Meanes teaching Q. 8. 1 Commandement 1. Q. 9. 2 Commandement 2. Q. 10. 3 Commandement 3. Q. 11. 4 Commandement 4. Q. 12. 5 Commandement 5. Q. 13. 6 Commandement 6. Q. 14. 7 Commandement 7. Q. 15. 8 Commandement 8. Q. 16. 9 Commandement 9. Q. 17. 10 Commandement 10. Q. 18. 2 Of Corruption of which it sets down our misery 1 By sinne Q. 19. 2 By punishment Q. 20. 3 Of Renovation Of which it teacheth us 1 The means working it Christ Jesus Q. 20. Who is further described by his 1 Natures Q. 22. 2 Work for use Set down two wayes 1 By the greatest manifestation of it at the latter end where two 1 His Passion Q. 13. 2 His possibility to undergo it 2 By the efficacy of it both in respect 1 Of the end Q. 24. 2 Of the persons for whom Q. 25. 2 The means applying it Faith described 1 By the nature of it Q. 26. 2 By the working of it in respect of 1 The beginning of it Q. 27. 2 The growth of it by means 1 Without us which are two 1 The Word of Christ 2 The Sacraments of Christ Q. 28. which are described 1 By their Nature Q. 29. 2 By their Number Q. 30. 3 By their use both of 1 Baptism Q. 31. 2 Supper of the Lord about which 1 What use of it Q. 32. 2 To whom Q. 33. 2 Within us and by us Prayer Q. 34. Which is further described 1 By the nature of it Q. 35. 2 By the matter The Lords Prayer Q. 36. Expounded by the 1 Preface Q. 37. 2 Petition 1. Q. 38. 3 Petition 2. Q. 39. 4 Petition 3. Q. 40. 5 Petition 4. Q. 41. 6 Petition 5. Q. 42. 7 Petition 6. Q. 43. 8 Conclusion Q. 44. A CATECHISM FOR Children thorough the chief points of the Body of Divinity to prepare them for the Lords Supper 1 Question WHo made thee A. God the Father 2 Q. Who redeemed thee A. Jesus Christ 3 Q. Who sanctified thee A. The Holy Ghost 4 Q. How many Gods are there A. There are three persons and to us Christians but one God 5 Q. What is God A. He is that Almighty one who made and governeth all things 6 Q. Wherefore did God make thee A. To do him service 7 Q. How oughtest thou to serve him A. As he hath commanded in his lawes 8 Q. Which are these lawes A. Those tenne words which God wrote in two Tables of stone and are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomy 9 Q. What is the first Commandement A. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me 10 Q. What is the second A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements 11 Q. What is the third Commandement A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain 12 Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattle nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it 13 Q. What is the fift Commandement A. Honour thy Father and Mother that thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 14 Q. What is the sixt A. Thou shalt not kill 15 Q. What is the seventh A. Thou shalt not commit adultery 16 Q. What is the eight A. Thou shalt not steal 17 Q. What is the ninth A. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour 18 Q. What is the tenth Commandement A. Thou shalt not covet thy neighhours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours 19 Q. Art thou able to keep these commandements A. No let me do what I can yet I break them every day more then I can expresse 20 Q. What punishment is appointed for the breakers of Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction of body and soul 21 Q. How shalt thou escape this curse A. Onely by Jesus Christ our Lord. 22 Q. What is Jesus Christ A. He is the eternall sonne of God made man 23 Q. What hath Christ Jesus done for thee A. He suffered the pains of death for me 24 Q. Seeing Christ was God how could he dye A. He was God and man as he was God he died not but as man he died for my sinnes and rose again for my justification 25 Q. Are all men saved by Christs death A. No onely they are saved who have a true faith 26 Q. What is this true faith A. It is the resting of the soul upon Christ for salvation 27 Q. How must this faith be wrought in thee A. The Holy Ghost must work it in my heart
the husband hath his wife Prov. 2. and the wife hath her husband by vertue of the Covenant of God by which they are made one flesh So mayst thou have God by Covenant when thou cleavest unto him by knowledge faith feare love confidence worship and the like Use Be thou sure my good child to have the true God onely to be thy God thus When thou knowest not God and doest not beleeve love and feare him nor put thy trust and confidence in him that thou mayst enjoy him and use him as thine thou hast him not no nor thou doest not give him these graces alone Thou hast there articles of the Covenant for him alone and for other things and persons under him and for his honour onely 10. Q. What is the second Commandement A. Exod. 20.4 5 6. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquitie of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandements Here God requires the worshipping of God with his own outward worship What God requires in the second commandement God sees the vaine wickednesses of Idolaters Because they are carnall they must have carnall helps of their own inventions Hence is it because they have not bodily communion with their gods they ordinarily see them not heare them not feele them not therefore they set up their Images likenesses and similitudes they doe honour and worship to them in the place of their gods they adorn them they cense to them they kneele bowe courtesie and pray to them they think that there is a religious and divine power and presence in them to be a chariot of their devotions and to convey the Influences of their hearts and words to their patrons their great gods But God will not be worshipped in this carnall way Deut. 4.15 16 17 18. He manifested no similitude on the day that the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire lest we should corrupt our selves and make a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likenesse of male or female God is a consuming fire Deut. 4.24 and a Jealous God and will have none of his worship conveyed to any devises of man or by them to him but he will have his own worship by an acknowledgement of such divine excellencies as are in him in the way and by the means that he hath appointed that is by the Word Sacraments and Prayer Vse Therefore my child look upon all Idolaters so as to hate their abominable course Doe not thinke to please God by devices of thine owne or others Imagine not that Images or Idols either graven or carved or painted can carry thy worship to those Gods or divine things or Persons whom they represent Bestow not thy divine respects upon any thing or person but God alone Frame not any will-worship thy selfe for the true and good God But as thou learnest out of the word the worship to give him all manner of prayers and prayses to heare his word to receive his Sacraments and to offer up any spirituall sacrifices so doe that thou provoke not God to jealousie and so to hate thee and to plague thine before thy face to thy confounding discomfort 11. Q. What is the third Commandement A. Exod. 20.7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Here God requires the worshipping of him in his owne manner What God requires in the third Commandement so as it may not be in vaine If it be not done as he would have it as good never a whit as not done as he would have it The name of God is God himselfe any wayes made knowne unto thee Thou art knowne by thy name and God hath a name whereby he is or may be made known to all mankind to wit his works his word his titles his attributes his religion his worship this is his name To take it signifies to take it up or to challenge it from contempt and blasphemy so as God may not be dishonoured by thine or others use of it To take it in vaine is to use it to no end to a fruitlesse end or to a wicked end as when thou usest the names titles and attributes of God to tosse them like Tennice balls to no use but as fruitlesse imbellishments of thy speech when thou usest them in asseverations and oathes to belch out the passions and bitternesse of thy heart to or against others and when thou usest them in word or actions to vent the malice or hypocrisie in thy heart Vse Take heed of doing thus my child Thou art a Christian and wouldest be accounted godly and so thou takest up Gods name Do it so as God and his people may not be ashamed to acknowledge thee for such Thou sometimes takest up the name of God in thy mouth doe it with all reverence When thou swearest doe it when thou art justly called unto it Joh. 7. Heb. 6. Jer. 4.2 to cleare the innocency or to end strife among men in truth in righteousnesse and in judgement When thou prayest hearest vowest or receivest the Sacraments doe them as sincerely desiring to draw thy self into communion with God in Christ If thou doe not though men are found to be carefull for preserving of their owne names more then Gods yet God tenderly respects his owne name and will account thee guilty and bind thee over to be plagued in this world and for ever 12. Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy work But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Here God requires the worshipping of God by his owne meanes upon that time which is appointed It is said What God requires in the fourth Commandement That the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it which thou must not conceive to be an idle repetition of words of the same value in so short a summe and therefore compare other Scriptures and the sense will be cleare and distinct unto Esau cries out to Jacob Gen. 27. Blesse me even me also my father and then Jacob gave him a
it so fully that thou maist with reverence attention feeling and desire go out to God for necessarie materials to furnish thee in all briefer or larger supplications Which that thou maist do go along with me and tell me 38. Q. What is the enterance into this prayer A. Our Father which art in heaven Here thou doest bespeak God with an humble salutation As when thou hast any suit to a great man thou doest humbly salute him with his fit titles so here when thou hast many suits to thy God Christ learns thee to salute him with a title fit for prayer For God is here described by his goodnesse and by his greatnesse He that is good and great too will be as well willing as able to help thee The title of his goodnesse is Our Father Thou canst not spare either of these words Father is a title of immutability and of excellent love A father offended is a father still a prodigall son is a son still A man may be a friend to day and an enemy to morrow but a Father to day is a father so long as he is What will not a father do for his childe by indulgence compassion and bounty This then is a word of faith to hold up thy hands in prayer Our is a word of love to keep thee in Christian charity It includes thy selfe charity begins at home It includes also all that are or may be in communion and fellowship for life charity looks abroad to the salvation of all Christs body The title of his Greatnesse is which art in Heaven He is here and there and every where yet must thou look upon him in prayer as being in heaven This will keep thee from sawcinesse He is Our Father because thou shouldest not faint He is in heaven because thou shouldest not presume This will raise up thy affections in prayer above all the world Earthly fathers are mutable in affection may fail and want power to their hearts but no father like this father which is in heaven This will keep thy heart in tune to pitch upon chief things in prayer Eph. 1.3 spirituall blessings in heavenly things other moveables are for the sonnes of Keturah but these for Gods Isaacs This also will prepare thee to pray with all devotion Which art in Heaven are words of devotion for it tels thee that prayer is the work of Eagles that look against the Sun and not the work of Moles that dig in the earth and therefore thou must clarifie thy sight to converse with thy father in heaven when thou prayest and then as it was with Christ when he prayed Luk. 9.29 the fashion of his countenance was altered and his rayment was white and glistering so he will transforme thee from Glory to Glory till thou come unto his full image as thou art capable Vse Now my dear childe make the right use of this preface Let it raise up thy faith because thou prayest to thy Father kindle thy charity because thou goest out after the good of others and blow up thy devotion because thou forgettest the earth and conversest with thy father which is in heaven Use it as a means to prepare thee to prayer by answering of it by the spirit of adoption to cry Abba father by the spirit of charity to make thee lift up pure hands to God without wrath to men and by the spirit of devotion to seek heavenly things and earthly in an heavenly way Lastly be sure to use it aright by excluding no person in Trinitie when thou prayest by excluding all creatures when thou prayest by conceiving God aright in prayer as a Father in Christ who being in heaven can showre down upon his inheritance all fruitfull blessings and by learning never to pray to God without due preparation 39. Q. What is the first petition A. Hallowed be thy Name Here thou prayest for the chiefe end of thy creation What is prayed for in the first Petition and all blessings upon thy selfe and others By the Name of God thou must understand God himselfe any wayes made known unto thee Name is taken for person as Esay hath it Esa 26.8 The desire of our souls is unto thy name and when God is made known by his nature word worship or works of creation or providence this is his name By hallowing of Gods name thou must understand the manifesting of God to be as he is in himselfe high and excellent Thou canst not doe it by separation and application of Gods name to holy uses as thou doest the Lords day and the Sacraments but thou mayst doe it by declaration of what God is in his worke in thee and in thy worship and service of him to life Now Gods name cannot suffer from God himself Angels and Saints in heaven though they will and must glorifie him but from thee and us poor sinfull men women and children And we hallow his name when we challenge it from Ignorance by knowledge and acknowledgement from oblivion by the remembrance of thee from contempt by confession praise and swearing by his name in truth holinesse and righteousnesse And from prophanation by blasphemy in tongue or life or any other prophanation of his Justice mercy goodnesse truth or the like Use Therefore my good child take diligent care of this petition Thou knowest that Gods name is holy and Reverend that none can hallow it but the holy for praise is not comely in the mouth of a foole Thou knowest that God is thy Father and it is a debt of charitie to honour thy father Thou knowest that all the servants of God when they see Gods name advanced will know him and trust in him Seeing therefore thou hast so many tyes strive with God in prayer that thou mayst do this work Pro. 18.10 Gods name is a strong towre and our help stands in the name of the Lord our God Thou seest how little Gods name is sanctified God passeth by and we know him not Thou seest how the wicked prophane it and knowest that God will honour them that honour him Therefore be thou sure to ayme at the hallowing of Gods name If the Devill should stand up in Judgement against thee and plead Great God thou hast done wonderfull works for this thy creature and yet he doth dishonour thee in thought word and deed I have done nothing but sought his ruine and burning in the pit of hell and yet he serveth me deedily what wouldst thou answer for thy self wouldst not thou be speechlesse Take heed If any work be wrought if it be wrought basely and bunglingly he that wrought it hath no credit by it If it be wrought curiously every man that passeth by takes notice of it and praiseth the workman This is thy case Thou art the workmanship of God If thou shew thy selfe forth like Gods workmanship and live to his honour thou doest hallow Gods name but if thou live wickedly as if the devill made thee thou doest not
good Lastly they are blessing hands As Christ when he was to ascend lift up his hands and blessed his disciples Luk. 24.50 so Gods hands are blessing hands If he touch the Mountains they shall smoak as the Psalmist hath it so if God do but touch our souls the send forth the fumes of Gods grace and glory Therefore seeing Gods hands are holy hands loving hands powerfull hands and blessing hands it is no marvell that the safety of the soul doth lye in Gods hands Use 1 Let this thought I beseech you breed a caveat and an exhortation First take heed lest you put your souls into any hands else We may finde mad courses amongst men in the Church Some put their souls into the hands of their senses They will live where they can see hear feel taste and smell and further they will not go to save a soul This makes them carnall sensuall and bruitish Others put their souls into the hand of reason They are like the ancient Quaeristae who would go in Religion no further then reason guided them Others put their soules into the hands of the world If that can dandle them happily upon the lap of it they look for no more though at that time that the world leaves them Animula vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca they cry out as that Emperour did Alas my poor silly wandring soul whither now away what will become of thee Nay others put their souls into the hands of the Devill and do not know it They walk in their own counsels and follow their own lusts blown up by Satan All these are but slippery places Therefore Good Christians take heed that ye put not your souls into any of these hands Secondly be you exhorted to be such as may hope for such hands You wil not put foul things into fair fingers nor foul souls into the hands of that God whose eyes cannot endure to behold iniquity much lesse his hands to touch it We had an holy man Mr. Bolton of Northhamptonshire who lived amongst us When he had all his children about him upon his death-bed he charged them that they should be carefull not to appear before God with him without regenerated â—â—â—â— s. He knew and saw that there was no presenting of them into Gods hand without purity If we come unclean to him it will be wofull in the latter end If God shall say I will not touch you this wil kill in the day of death and judgement Oh thinke upon this ye that forget God! You that live in Associated Counties or in the strongest Garisons can doe something to send out Troops after Troops with a little pay or pay now and then who do with free-quarter and contribution eat up all places where they come In the mean time you altogether insensible of the miseries of your brother Joseph can live in all luxury letchery and pride I mean too many of you Take heed I wonder what kinde of souls you will commend to God when you dye if they be in that state and posture wherein you live I pray God be mercifull unto you Act. 8.22 if it be possible your sinnes should be forgiven you For Gods clean hands will not receive unclean souls We have thus viewed the Nature of the soul and the Castle of the soul The nature of it is to be a spirit the Castle of it is to be in the hands of God but now we are come to the care for the soul David gives a President of the best care of it in type and Christ makes it good in truth both of them commit it to God Paul saith 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day It will be well for all of us if we can take the same care for our souls as these have had Lay it to heart that we must have a care of and for the safety of our souls The care of and for our souls Deut. 4.9 This is commanded by God when he saith Keep thy soul diligently and it hath been practised by Gods people Jaacob when he was wonderful busie before his death in his propheticall will looks unto his soul Gen. 49.6 and saith my soul come not thou into their secret He would be loth his soul should be in traffick and trade with such ungodly cruell men as Simeon and Levi though they were near and dear unto him And David was at it again Psa 25.20 and again He pleades with God O keep my soul and when he saw it out of order Psa 42.5 he chid it why art thou so heavie O my soul why art thou so disquieted within me And when he saw it backward to do its duty to God he calls out unto it Ps 103.1 2. My soul praise the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name My soul praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits This shews what care he had for his soul and so must you Christians You will put me to a double question when we must have such care and why we must have this care for our souls You must have this care alwayes Satan is a great Merchant for souls What ever he pretends he meanes the soul He will offer the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life but he meanes the soul He takes unmatchable paines for souls He compasseth Sea and land to make a proselite he compasseth the earth to and fro to catch at advantages He adventures all he usurps for souls As he said to Christ All this will I give thee Matth. 4. if you will fall down and worship me so he will offer you any thing let who so will perform it He makes his riches lye in souls If thousands fall into sin before him and ten thousand at his right hand then his riches come home Therefore it behoves all good Christians to have a care of their souls As you must have a care at all times of your souls so especially when prosperity adversity and death comes Prosperity comes with a cup of deadly wine to poyson you As at that time when the persecution of the Primitive Church did cease and dayes of ease came in there was a voice from heaven heard saying Hodie effusum est venenum in Ecclesiam this day poyson is powred out into the Church so when prosperity comes look to thy look to thy soul that it be not bit with a Cockatrice Adversity comes with a ghastly countenance to affright us from God and therefore as Job cast his eys from his troubles to God and said though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee so must you for the good of your souls Death comes and brings a Catalogue of sinnes reaching from one end of heaven to another Lose the soul now and lose it