twelve heads Some whereof though usual and obvious in such as treâ—t upon Oeconomical duties yet being further improved may by no means be here past by in silence since they are exceeding useful and no less practical than others Most men under the Gospel perish for want of practising known duties Wherefore let mee beg of thee O Christian that every prescription may bee duly weighed and conscientiously improved so shalt thou not doubt of admirable success through Divine Assistance 1. In the first place Preserve and uphold the honour and preheminence of that station wherein God hath set you by all prudent means The Prophet bewails those times wherein the Childe shall behave himself proudly against the antient and the base against the honourable Isa 3.5 Distance of years calls for distance of deportment A Father may challenge honour and reverence a Master his due fear and subjection from his servant What is duty in the Inferiour to yeeld is prudence in the Superior to maintain It is therefore wisely advis'd by the Philosopher that no persons should marry over-early 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if Parents and Children prove too neer in age Aâ—ist Pol. l. 7. c. 16. there may follow great inconveniences In that too much propinquity of years diminiâ—heth reverence in children and oftentimes produces contentioâ—s in the management of family-affairs Hieronym ad Gaudent Tom. 1. p. 101. Let such a distance he preserved as may obtain the effectual issue of that counsel which Jerom gives to Gaudentium about the education of Pacatula Matris no 〈◊〉 pro verbis ac monitis pro imperio habeat Amet us Parentem subjiciatur ut Dominae timeat ut Magistram Let the Childe esteem the nod of her Mother in lieu of words admonitions and commands let the Mother bee loved as a Parent subjected to as a Lady feared as a Mistress condescension to mean sordid and contemptible actions draws scorn and disdain upon Superiours As reverence and obedience is injoyned to Inferiours so Rulers should manage and order their actions with such gravity and sobriety before them as may gain some awe and respect from their hearts No wonder if that Ruler bee contemned and sleighted who disgraceth himself Some are apt to count it a peece of gracious humility and lowliness of spirit but they are greatly mistaken It argues rather a base low degenerate temper Bee as humble before God as reverential to Rulers as affable to Equals as thou canst but ever remember to maintain the eminency of thy place above Inferiors It is not heavenly no nor moral wisdome to entertain discourse of trivial and frivolous matters with those that are under your inspection and government Let converse with Inferiors be spent Epictet c. 54. not upon superflucus but necessary subjects It is a good precept of the Stoick to abstain from moving of laughter by Jests among familiars Maxima debetur pueris reverentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pytyhag aur caâ—m for it will have that influence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lessen their reverence towards thee There is a great deal of reverence to be manifested by Superiors towards Youth if they would cherish and preserve that due reverence which ought to be in the hearts of young ones toward themselves And yet notwithstanding you must not carry your selves with any proud supercilious or fastuous deportment your countenance though grave yet must not bee stern As you need not indent your cheeks with continual smiles so neither to plow your foreheads with rough and sowre wrinkles A sober affability an unaffected and amiable gravity will suffiently chastize contempt and nourish a reverent love Rigid austerity in words and actions will produce a slavish dis-spirited temper in children and servants that when they come to years they prove either more difficult to please than their Fathers before them or else so pusill animous that they are rendred unfit to manage the work of their Generation among whom they converse Plato de lag l. 7 Tom. 2. p. 791. Ed. H. Steph. It is a maxim of Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that over-much rustick slavery renders them dejected illiberal and haters of mankinde Carry your selves therefore in that manner that they may neither fear or hate your morosity nor grow wanton opon the commonness and supinity of your carriage If Inferiors repute their Rulers not wise enough to govern them all their instructions will fall to the ground Regimen esse non potest nisi fuerit jugiter in rectore judicium Judgement and Prudence in a Ruler Salvian de Gu. Dei l. 1. p. 20. Ed. Oxon. is the foundation of the consistency of Government 2. Bee frequent pithy and clear in Family-instruction Nature without moral Discipline is blinde could a Heathen say Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ed. H. Steph. p. 2. Without heavenly instruction it 's sealed up to eternal darkness Wee are all like barren heaths and stony-deserts by nature Instruction is the culture and improvement of the soul 'T is observed by Naturalists that Bees do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carry small gravel in their feet to poize their little bodies through the stormy winds Aâ—ian de animal l. 1. c. 11. Such are instructions to the floating and wavering minds of youth The keel of their weak judgements would soon over-set without the ballast of Discipline their conversations would soon prove unfruitful or over-spread with the rampant briars of vice and sin unless well manured and laboured upon Deut. 32.2 and moistened with the sweet showers of parental teachings Wherefore all Inferiours are by God referred to their Rulers that they may drink in the soul-refreshing dews of prudent Precepts Even women are commanded to learn in silence 1 Tim. 2.11 Arist Pol. l. 1. c. 8. p. 86. 1 Cor. 14.35 1 Pet. 3.7 Isa 38.19 with all subjection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Silence is a womans ornament as a great Master of wisdome hath observed Their ears should be more exercised than their tongues If they wil learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at home who are commanded to dwell with them according to knowledge As for servants and children the case is more evident and clear But in all your instructions have a care of tedious prolixity make up the shortness of your discourse by frequency Thou art injoyned to talk of Gods precepts when thou sittest in thine house Deut. 6.7 11.18 when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up A little now and a little then When thou wouldest accustome a childe to any useful quality begin betimes 'T is the counsel even of a Heathen but yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Pol. 7. c 17. Aâ—tonâ—n de scipso l. 4. p. 69. Ed. Lon. 1643. inure him by degrees As the Precepts and Axiomes by which a wise man should guide his life according to the royal Moralist should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
upon acknowledgement of my fault I would be forgiven and received to favour Now if we would be thus dealt with we must bear with others the best men need some grains of allowance Nullum unquam ingenium placuit sine veniâ no man was ever so perfect so accomplisht so unexceptionable but there was some thing or other in his carriage that needed pardon every man hath a particular humour we must give some allowance for that every man is subject to mistake we must allow for that too and if a man have committed a fault we must accept of an ingenuous acknowledgement and be ready to grant him peace There is a shame and disdain in humane nature of too vile a submission therefore we must not bring a man too low when we have him at advantage 5. In matter of report and representation of other men and their actions We must not take up a rash prejudice or entertain a sinister apprehension of any upon sleight grounds do not represent any man his words or actions at a disadvantage make the best of every thing A mans good Name is like a Looking-glasse nothing is sooner crackt and every breath can sully it Handle every mans reputation with the same tenderness thou wouldest have every man use towards thine Do not slander or defame any man or rejoyce to hear other mens miscarriages ript open do not account it an entertainment to censure and backbite all the World 6. In matters of trust and fidelity Where I place a confidence and repose a trust I would not bee deceived I must not deceive another nor let any man fall that leans upon mee If a man trust mee with the management of his businesse or lodge a secret with mee or put his life into my power or commit the care of his estate or children to mee after his death These are all ingenuous trusts and must be discharged with the same faithfulness we expect from others 7. In matter of duty and obedience Wee must give that honour to our Parents which wee would expect from our Children and pay that reverence to Masters which wee would exact from our Servants Wee must rise up before the gray head and give respect to old Age For let not us think but that the change of Relation and of Age will have the same effect upon us which it hath upon the rest of the World It is a folly to talk that when wee are Old wee shall be pleased with the insolencies of Youth when wee are Masters wee shall not be at all offended with the contemptuous carriage of our Servants that it will not touch our hearts to have our Children undutiful and void of respect to see the fruit of our body unnatural and unkâ—nde to us 8. In matters of freedome and liberty Which are not determined by any natural or positive Law wee must permit as much to others as wee assume to our selves and this is a sign of an equal and temperate person and one that justly values his own understanding and power But there is nothing wherein men usually deal more unequally with one another than in indifferent opinions and practices of Religion I account that an indifferent opinion which good men differ about not that such an opinion is indifferent as to truth or errour but as to salvation or damnation it is not of necessary beleef By an indifferent practice in Religion I mean that which is in its own nature neither a duty nor a sin to do or omit Where I am left free I would not have any mâ—n to rob mee of my liberty or intrench upon my freedome and because hee is satisfied such a thing is lawful and fit to be done expect I should do it who think it otherwise or because hee is confident such an opinion is true be angry with mee because I cannot beleeve as fast as hee Now if another do ill in doing thus to mee I cannot do well in doing so to another And do not say that thou art sure thou art in the right and he that differs from thee in the wrong and therefore thou mayest impose upon him though hee may not upon thee hath not every man this confidence of his own opinion and practice and usually the weakest cause bears up with the greatest confidence now if thou wouldest not have another that is confident hee is in the right to impose upon thee do not thou impose upon another for all thy confidence Wee should rather bee modest and say every one to our selves How came I to be so much wiser then other men which way came the spirit of the Lord from so many Wise and Pious men to speak unto mee Is it a peculiar priviledge granted to mee that I cannot bee mistaken or are not they most of all mistaken who think they cannot mistake If then I bee but like other men why should I take so much upon mee as if my understanding were to bee a rule and my apprehensions a standard to the whole World As if when another man differs from mee I did not differ as much from him why may not another man understand the thing better than I do or what crime is it if hee understand it not so well Were all mens understandings cast in the same Mould Is it presumption for any man to know more then I do or a sin to know less Job doth well reprove this self-conceit Job 12.2 3. His friends would needs bear him down and were very angry with him that hee was not of their minde and would not acknowledge all to bee true of himself which they said against him hee takes them up sharply No doubt yee are the people and wisdome shall dye with you but I have understanding as well as you and I am not inferiour to you who knoweth not such things as these Let not any man think that hee hath engrossed all the knowledge of the world to himself but others know the same things which hee doth and many things better than hee 9. In matters of Commerce and Contracts which arise from thence Now a contract is a mutual transferring of right when I buy any thing of another hee makes over the right of such a Commodity to mee for so much mony or other valuable thing the right whereof I make over to him Now in this kinde of entercourse wee are to bee governed by this great Rule In making of Contracts wee must agere bonâ fide deal honestly and truely in performing of contracts wee must liberare fidem satisfie the ingagement wee have made for thus wee our selves would bee dealt withall Now if any shall desire to bee more particularly satisfied What that exact righteousness is which in matter of Contracts ought to bee observed betwixt Man and Man I must confess this is a difficult question and to bee handled very modestly by such as acknowledge themselves unacquainted with the affairs of the World and the necessities of things and the particular and hidden
and this like Pathologie or understanding the disease and the constitution of the patient will hugely minister and condence to the exact method of Physick either for prevention or for cure Rule 4 Get and keep a tender Conscience Be sensible of the least sin As the apple of the eye the fittest Emblem in the world of a tender conscience is not only offended with it blow or wound but if so much as a little dust or smoak get in it weeps them out Some mens consciences are like the stomack of the Estrich which digesteth iron they can swallow and concoct the most notorious sins swearing drunkenness c. without regret their consciences are seared as with an hot iron as the Apostle phraseth it 1 Tim. 4.2 they have so inured their souls to the grossest wickedness as the Psylli a people of Africa whom Plutarch mentions had their bodies to the eating poyson that it becomes as it were natural But a good conscience hath a delicate sense it is the most tender thing in the whole world it feels the least touch of known sin and grieves at the grieving of Gods good Spirit not only for quenching or resisting or rebelling against the Holy Ghost but even for grieving the holy Spirit of promise whereby it is sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4.80 The most tender hearted Christian he is the stoutest and most valiant Christian Happy is the man that feareth always but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28.14 it is the truest magnanimity and heroique courage in our spiritual warfar to tremble at the least iniquity A Christian is never fitter to endure hardness as a faithful souldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.3 then when his conscience is most tender To be such a coward as not to dare to break any one of Gods Commandments is to be the valiantest person in the world for such a one will chuse the greatest evil of suffering before the least of sinning and however the jeering Ishmaels of the world be ready to reproach and laugh one to scorn for this niceness and precise scrupulosity as they term it yet the choice if God be but wiser then vain man is a very wise one Keep an exact guard upon thy heart Prov. 4.23 let the eyes of thy Rule 5 soul be open and awake upon all the stirrings of thy thoughts affections Bid them stand at their first appearance As soon as ever thou discriest any of them in motion summon them before thy souls tribunal let them not pass till thou knowest perfectly whence they come whither they go Ask their errand State viri quae caussa viae quive estis in armis Virg. Is it grief or is it joy or hope or fear or love c. that is now upon the march demand the Word of it ask whether it have a Pass from God and conscience Catechize it examine it search it speak to it in the Centinel's and Watchman's phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew me your Ticket Tell me my desire my love my fear my anger by whose authority art thou now up and in motion if they are able to produce a good warrant from Gods Commandments or from the dictate of reason and conscience let them go on in Gods name they are about their business But if they cannot arrest them as idle vagrants nay as enemies to thy souls peace and charge them upon their allegiance to their superiors that they stir no further Rule 6 Be daily training and exercising all thy graces Have them always in battel-â—ray be in a military posture both defensive and offensive Stand constantly to thine arms for thou hast to do with two enemies that will never give thee any truce or respite the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jews call them the flesh within thee Jer. 17 9. and the Tempter that destroying Angel of the bottomless pit without thee 1 Pet. 5.8 the Christian warfare is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a war never to be altered it admits of no peace no cessation The Souldier of Christ must never lay down his arms but expect to be upon continual duty and travel till the great Lord of Hosts under whose banner he now fighâ—â—th is pleased to remove his Quarters from that Army Militant here on Earth to that blessed and triumphant in the Heavens Rule 7 Be well skilled in the Elenchs of Temptation I mean in unmasking the Sophistry and Mystery of iniquity in defeating the Wiles and Stratagems of the Tempter and in detecting and frustrating the cheats and finesses of the flesh with its deceitful lusts Eph. 4.23 2 Cor. 2.11 No small part of spiritual wisdom lies in the blessed art of discovering and refuting sins fallacies and impostures If ever thou wouldst prove famous and victorious and worthy honour and reverence in thy spiritual warfare be well seen in the skill of fencing know all thy wards for every attaque Provide thy self with answers and retorts beforehand against the subtle insinuations and delusions of thine enemy Ex. gr If Satan tels thee as he often will that the sin is pleasant ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musae ask whether the gripings of conscience be so too whether it be such a pleasant thing to be in hell to be under the wrath of an Almighty Judge If he tels thee no body sees thou mayst commit it safely ask whether he can put out Gods all-seeing eye whether he can find a place empty of the divine presence for thee to sin in or whether he can blot out the Items out of the Book of Gods Remembrance If he tels thee it is a little one ask whether the Majesty of the great Jehovah be a little one whether there be a little hell or no. If he talks of profits and earthly advantages that will acrew ask what account it will turn to at the last day and what profit there is Mat. 16.26 if one should gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what one should give in exchange for his soul When sin like Jael invites thee into her Tent Judg 4.11 21. 5.25 â—6 with the lure and decoy of a lordly treatment think of the nail and hammâ—r which fastened Sisera dead to the ground Be not caught with chaff lay by thee such memoires such answers and reparties as these wherewith thou mayst reply upon the Tempter that the God of truth hath other manner of pleasures profits honours to court thy love and reward thy service with then the father of lies viz. true and real solid and eternal ones what are the pleasures that are sin for a season to be compared with the rivers of Gods pleasure that are for evermore at his right hand and what is a little wealth that thieves can steal a despicable heap of riches which like a flock of birds a lighting a little while in thy yard will take wing presently and fly away to be named
and nourished only by our own brain these we must carefully avoid and if formed not be cruel to our selves in being compassionate to them but dâ—sh them in pieces And theâ—e are real evils which come not forth of our own dust nor spring out of the ground but are from above of Gods creating and framing Amos 3.6 Isa 45.7 Jer. 18.11 These we are not to be senseless under but duly affected with and yet not over-affected so as to murmur and repine much less quarrel with God A Stoical apathy becomes us not and yet better than quarrelling at Goâ—s Providence it coming nearer moderation for wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3.39 little reason whilst thou art living seeing it is less than thy desert and no reâ—son even for death and hell for they are but equal to thy desert if thou confess thy self a sinner thou must confess this Plato said that God doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sympos l. 8. Q. 2. which is expounded by Plutarch well That God is said alwaies to act the Geometrician in regard of his equal dealing with all men in proportioning rewards and punishments to their deserts And a greater than he yea the greatest that can be God himself appeals to the sinners own conscience Is not my way equal are not yours unequal Ezek. 18. which whole Chapter is a defence of his equity Troubled then we may be murmuring and discontented we must not be Nay troubled we ought to be as the evills are greater or less which must be judgeâ— by the good they deprive us of more for publick because that good is greater less for private evils because ouâ— own good is not equal to the communities But in the body politick 't is quite otherwise than in the natural body we are usually too senseless under publick and too sensible of and immoderate under our own particular evils rather apt to quarrel with God like Jonah for a Gourd or some inconsiderable concerns of our own than be troubled at the destruction of a great Ninevey more troubled at our own houses being on fire or child sick than all our neighbours in the City about us burnt and dead Therefore Scripture accordingly calls for affection for the publike and forbids it in our own concernments in regard we are generally defective in the former and excessive in the latter Nay even towards others when just cause of compassion if excessive So our Saviour when the women lamented his death which was matter of grief as in respect of him though of greatest joy in it self as to them and the world bids them Weep not for me but for your selves and your children in regard of the publick calamities that were coming upon Jerusalem Mat. 23.27 28 29. Every particular being concerned in the community Now of these evils seeing all are privations of good Some are of the good we want and never enjoyed as deformity of body defect in parts constant poverty c. and here we must beware we judge not those evils which are none and so trouble and torment our selves without cause and reproach our Maker saying Why hath he made me thus Why am I no nobler born no more beautiful made no greater heir no quicker Parted Why am I not as such or such not as they this or that When thou hast what is sutable and convenient for thy condition for this all may say of those that excel them and the best of imaginary excellencies as well as thou Other evils are of the good we have enjoyed and are deprived of as sickness of health losses of friends and estate reproaches of our good name imprisonment of liberty and the like which are incident to our present state These are they especially which the world lament and cry out after as foolishly as Micah Judges 18.24 Ye have taken away our Gods and what have we more and saiest thou what aileth us We must not here be too passionately excessive either in the degree or duration of our trouble we must be affected with the providence of God in these evils according to their greatness to us a little loss in it self may be great to a poor man as the Widows two mites was more to her than their far greater sums was to them that cast them in the death of an only child greater than when a number and so trouble and sorrow for them but discontented we must not be nor distracted in the duties God requires nor refuse to be comforted because our Husbands Wives Children Pleasures Honours Riches are not for as there is a time to weep so a time to take up and refrain from weeping we must love them so as we may lose them that when we do we may not lose our selves Amavi haec omnia tanquam amissurus let us every one say at parting with them I loved you so as I can lose you Take heed of murmuring with the Israelites cursing thy Stars with the prophane of discontentedness which the best are apt to fall into nay wish for death rather than life as several of the Prophets Maintain that equilibrious frame in thee as David 2 Sam. 15.26 Here I am let God do to me as seemeth good to him which is the mother of patience and like it makes these evils though not none yet become none to us Thus I have done with moderation towards things most of whose particulars mentioned you have prest by the Apostle Paul and by the same argument of the Text 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. The time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away And though I have stood longer upon this than I intended and promised both you and my self in regard the fruit hung so thick about me that I could not but pluck some of it and after I had tasted it more yet I hope it will prove so pleasant also to the taste that you will pardon me especially considering how much this moderation towards things conduceth to that which respects persons the contentions in the world arising usually from our want of moderation to the things of the world as in civil matters it is patent and in religious though less obvious yet most frequently as certain that these are the springs from which they flow and how necessary it is for us all to know and practice it for licitis perimus omnis we usually perish by the hand of these lawful things 2. Moderation towards persons Having spoken of moderation as it respects our selves for preserving peace within this as all government having peace for its end which appears and is made known to others by our conversation let us now look abroad as we are
robbeth thee of thy Glory Thus also they who attribute their Riches Children Honours Victories Health Safety Knowledge c. to their Wits Labours Merits these are ingrateful robbers of God Thus they burnt Incense to their Drag and Yarn Thus Nebuchadnezzar gloried in the great Babel of his own building Thus the Assyrian also ranted and vaunted himself Isa 10 13 14 15. as if by his own great Wisdom and Valour he had conquered the Nations But mark the end of these men How the Lord took it and how he dealt with them for it He turned Nebuchadnezzar out to grass among the beasts He kindled a fire in the Assyrians Forrest and burnt it He struck Herod that he was eaten up with worms because he gave himself Act. 12.23 and not God the glory 3. Another sort of unthankful ones there is that seem to be very thankful but it is only complementally and with the lip These are like Apes that eat up the Kernel and leave God the shells they care not to go to the cost of a heart or a life-thankfulness they are cursed hypocrites they put him off with the blind and the lame in Sacrifice Mal. 1.14 and never once give him the Male of their Flock God will pay them in their own coyn they are thankful in jest and God will damn them in earnest Lact Instit c. 3. Non constare homini ratio pietatis potest c That man saith Lactantius cannot be a godly man that is unthankeful to his God * Materialiter per connotationem adhaerentiam And Aquinas saith That unthankefulness hath in it the root and matter of all sin For it denies or dissembles the goodness of God by which we live move and have our being yea and all our blessings the thankful acknowledgement whereof is our indispensable homage unto God Unthankfulness was a huge ingredient into Adams sin To sin against his Maker as soon as he was made Yea by whom he was so fearfully and wonderfully made little lower than the Angels Psal 139. Unthankfulness was the sin of Noah and Lot after their deliverances the one from water Gen. 9. Gen. 19. Deut. 32. Ezek. 16. per totum the other from fire The sin of Israel that forgat their Rock their husband that found them in the waste howling wilderness and when they lay in their bloud no eye pitying them cast out to the loathing of their persons The sin of David 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. The sin of Solomon 1 Kin. 11.9 The sin of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 31. Peremptoria res est ingratitudo hostis gratiae inimica salutis Bern. Serm 1. de 7 miser Ingratitudo est venius urens exsiccans fontem gratiae fluenta misericordiae Idem The great sin of the Gospel is unthankfulness by sinning against the light love free grace and rich patience of God in it this is to turn his grace into watonness to prefer darkness before light to neglect so great salvation not to come under Christs wing when he calls to us to despise his goodness and long-suffering leading to repentance not to come to him that we may have life to resist his Spirit and trample on his blood The sin of the greatest sinners in the Book of God is unthankfulness The sin of the Angels that kept not their first station The sin of Cain in his offering The sin of the Sodomites Quousque se diffundit gratia tò patet ingratitudo The sin of the Old World The sin of Saul The sin of Jeroboam the son of Nâ—bat The sin of Nabal The sin of Hanun The sin of Judas The sin of Julian And of Antichrist all is unthankfulness Exhort I shall conclude with a solemn exhortation to all that hear this word and profess the Lord Jesus and to be ruled by the Will of God in Christ Jesus revealed that they study and practice this great this comprehensive duty of thankefulness Consider that no People in the world have such cause of thankfulness as Christians Cresentibus donis crescunt donorum rationes Deut. 32.6 They have received more mercy than any therefore there is the more of them required therefore the Lord takes their unkinâ—ness the more unkindly Sins against mâ—rcy will turn mercy into cruelty and patience into fury To be unthankful to a bountiful God is for a froward child to beat his mothers breasts that gave him suck and to kick his Fathers bowels The Lord that he might upbraid his Peoples ingratitude compares them to a Bullock that was fatted in good pasture and then kicked Deut. 32.15 to Ver. 25. And what this cost you may read there When the Lord would preserve in his People the memorial of his mercies see how he orders them Deut. 26.1 to 10. Every man was to come with a basket of fruits and the Priest was to take it and set it down before the Lord and he that brought it was to make a solemn confession of his own poverty and wretchedness of Gods goodness and faithfulness to him and of his engagements to the Lord for the same Hereby the Lord let them know that they had all from him and held all at mercy and this was their homage that they paid him Oh what shall we then render to the Lord for all his benefits Who were Syrians ready to perish who with our staffe past this Jordan and now are two bands who have not only nether springs but upper also the Lord having opened a fountain and a treasure for us Think of this all you Male-contents and murmurers read over your mercies preserve a Catalogue of them compare them with what otheâ—s enjoy It is not with you as with Heathens you have the Gospel if it totters as if it were in a moving posture from you thank your unthankfulness for it You have had it with peace and plenty and if that hath glutted you and the Lord is now curing your surfet by a sparer diet thank your wantonness for it Yet consider Turks and Tartars are not in your bowels burning your houses ravishing wives and daughters killing old sick and infants carrying away the rest Captives drinking healths in your dead Nobles skulls digged out of their graves yet all this is done among the poor Protestants in Transilvania Sword Famine and Pestilence making havock in that flourishing Country not to speak of other places what is felt or feared is not this ground of thanks Consider yet again what we have had long and still have though the Land is ful of sin from one end to the other What we have deserved and yet do even to be stripped naked of all life and liberty peace and plenty to have our doors shut up our lights put out our Teachers all driven into corners the good Land to spue us our and the abomination that maketh desolate to enter in among us our Land to keep her Sabbaths because we prophaned the Lords Sabbaths the voice of
the best grains of Corn and then sell the rest sometimes they falsifie their weights Hos 12.7 He is a Merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand But he who makes Religion his businesse is regulated by it in the Shop he is just in his dealings he dares not hold the Book of God in one hand and false weights in the other he is faithfull to his neighbour and makes as much reckoning of the ten Commandements as of his Creed 4. Religion hath an influence upon his marrying He labours to graft upon a religious stock he is not so ambitious of parentage as piety nor is his care so much to espouse dowry as virtue * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys In a word he seeks for a meet help one that may help him up the hill to Heaven this is marrying in the Lord. That marriage indeed is honourable a Heb. 13.6 when the husband is joyned to one who is the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 Here is the man that makes Religion his businesse who in all his civill transactions is steered and influenced by Religion Religion is the universall ingredient 5. He who makes Religion his businesse is good in his calling and relation relative grace doth much grace Religion I shall suspect his goodnesse who herein is excentricall some will pray Character 5 and discourse well but it appears they never made Religion their businesse but took it up rather for ostentation than as an occupation because they are defective in relative duties they are bad husbands bad children c. If one should draw a picture and leave out the eye it would much eclipse and take from the beauty of the picture to fail in a relation stains the honour of profession He who makes Religion his businesse is like a Star shining in the proper orbe and station wherein God hath set him Character 6 6. He who makes Religion his businesse hath a care of his company he dares not twist into a cord of friend ship with sinners Psal 26.4 I have not sat with vain persons Diamonds will not cement with rubbish 'T is dangerous to intermingle with the wicked least their breath prove infectious Sin is very catching Psal 106.35 36. They were mingled among the heathen and learned their works and served their Idols which were a snare unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epictetus if you mingle bright and rusty armour together the rusty will not be made bright but the bright will be made rusty He who makes Religion his businesse likes not to be near them whose nearnesse sets him further off from God and whose imbraces like those of the Spider are to suck out the precious life The godly man ingrafts into the communion of Saints and hereby as the Siens he partakes of the sap and virtue of their grace he who makes it his businesse to get to Heaven associates only with those who may make him better or whom he may make better Character 7 7. He who makes Religion his businesse keeps his spirituall watch alwayes by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. He watcheth his eye Job 31.1 I have made a covenant with mine eyes When Dinah was gadding she was defiled Gen. 34.1 When the eye is gadding by impure glances the heart is defiled 2. He who makes Religion his businesse watcheth his thoughts least they should turn to froth Jer. 4.24 How long shall vain thoughts lodg within thee What a world of sinne is minted in the phancie a child of God sets a spy over his thoughts he summons them in and captivates them to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 3. He who makes Religion his businesse watcheth his passions passion is like gunpowder which the Devill setting on fire blowes up the soul Jonah in a passion quarrels with the Almighty Jonah 4.1 9. He who is devoted to Religion watcheth his passions least the tyde growing high reason should be carried down the stream and be drowned in it 4. He who makes Religion his businesse watcheth his duties Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray First he doth watch in prayer the heart is subject to remisnesse if it be not dead in sinne it will be dead in prayer a Christian watcheth least he should abate his fervour in duty he knows if the strings of his spirituall Violl slacken Col. 3.16 he cannot make melody in his heart to the Lord. Secondly he doth watch after prayer as a man is most carefull of himself when he comes out of an hot bath the pores being then most open and subject to cold so a Christian is most carefull when he comes from an Ordinance least his heart should decoy him into sinne therefore when he hath prayed he sets a watch he deals with his heart as the Jews dealt with Christs sepulchre Matth. 27.66 They made the sepulchre sure sealing the stone and setting a watch A good Christian having been at the word and Sacrament that sealing Ordinance after the sealing he sets a watch 5. He who makes Religion his businesse watcheth his temptations Temptation is the scout the Devill sends out to discover our forces 't is the train he layes to blow up our grace Satan ever lies at the catch he hath his depths Rev. 2.24 his methods Ephes 4.14 his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is continually fishing for our souls and if Satan be angling we had need be wâ—â—ching He who makes Religion his businesse is full of holy excubation he lies sentinell and with the Prophet stands upon his watch-tower Hab. 2.1 Solomon saith of a virtuous woman her candle goes not out by night Prov. 31.18 the good Christian keeps his watch-Candle alwayes burning 8. He who makes Religion his businesse every day casts up his Character 8 accounts to see how things go in his soul Solomon saith know the state of thy flock Prov. 27.23 a man that makes Religion his work Lam. 3.40 Seneca is carefull to know the state of his soul before the Lord brings him to a tryall he brings himself to a tryall he had rather use the looking-glasse of the word to see his own heart than put on the broad spectacles of censure to see anothers fault he playes the Critick upon himself he searcheth what sinne is in his heart unrepented of and having found it out he labours by his tears as by the water of jealousie Numb 5.22 to make the thigh of sinne to rot He searcheth whether he have grace or no and he tryes whether it be genuine or spurious he is as much afraid of painted holinesse as he is of going to a painted Heaven He traverseth things in his soul and will never leave till that question whether he be in the faith be put out of question Here is the man making Religion his businesse 2 Cor. 13.5 he is loath to be a spirituall bankrupt therefore is still calling himself to account and wherein he comes short he gets