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A40495
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A Friendly letter to all young men shewing the benefit of a religious and friendly reproof, conversation and admonition, and not only to live good lives themselves but to incourage others to do the same : with a letter to masters of families : to which is added a specimen of the rules and orders of the religious societies, as now practiced in the cities of London and Westminster.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing F2223A; ESTC R26731
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24,637
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62
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are of such a Temper or no that this Letter recommends and if you are persevere in it to the end remembring that gracious Promise He that endureth to the End shall be saved if you are not make no delay but strive to find out some of those Men that live good Lives and they will be a Help and Benefit to you But above all acquaint your self with a sober Minister and consult him with the great concernments of your Soul Remember alway that this is a Work that must not be delayed for we know not what a Day may bring forth Therefore take St. Paul ' s Advice with which I shall conclude Rom. 13. 12 13 14. Let us therefore cast off the Works of Darkness and let us put on the Armor of Light Let us walk Honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof Heb. 13. 20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant Make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his Sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen A Friendly Letter TO ALL YOUNG MEN c. DEarly Beloved Brethren and Fellow-Members of the Church of England it is to you that I now Write as a Friend and a Brother for such we should all be one to another and our Saviour makes it the great visible Badge of Christianity By this saith he shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one for another Now this Divine Grace of Love and Charity being the Foundation of all Religion let it shew its self that it is in our Hearts by a true and sincere Desire of doing Good to one another and to all Men to their precious and Immortal Souls and let us look upon it as our Duty the Endeavouring to save them and the only means whereby to effect that Work is to promote Godliness in the World and Holiness of Life for without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. Now to the Promoting of Godliness in the World nothing is more effectual than the frequent Conversation of Christians with each other This is a Truth that may be manifested from divers Arguments This is that therefore which in this Letter I would chiefly recommend to you to wit Christian Conversation and Society Man is a Creature made for Society it is by That that he eases his Mind by Communicating his Thoughts it is by That that he receives Comfort by the Counsel of others and gets Wisdom by their Admonition and Advice nay it is by That as an Instrument by which the Holy Spirit does work that he gets Grace For all Conversation is of an assimilating Nature that is it makes Men become like to those they converse withall and consequently the same effect may be reasonably hop'd for from Christian Conversation And this may be further manifested from the Practice of Satan whose Business it is therefore in the first place to divert Men from Christian Conversation and this he effects First By bringing Reproach on such Assemblies as Phanatical and tending to Schism thereby affrighting weak Christians who have not strength to indure Shame for the Name of Christ or that have not Judgment to determine rightly of Enthusiasm and Schism And Secondly by Furnishing of Men with Diversity of other Conversation and for this End he has set up Prophane and Atheistical Clubs in Taverns and Ale-Houses and other Merry Meetings which tend much to the Promoting of his Kingdom because beside other Evils they keep Men from serious and pious Discourse for see what is the Discourse of every Tavern-Club of every Coffee-House-Table of every Merry Meeting What Discourse do you there meet with that is season'd with Grace and to the use of Edifying which the Apostle tells us all our Discourse ought to be It were to be wish'd that it were no worse than Idle and yet for every Idle Word that Men shall speak our Saviour assures us they shall give an Account at the Day of Judgment And if there should be some good Christians among them in such Places yet How are they daunted How little Courage have they to promote any spiritual or savory Discourse How ashamed to reprove any Prophaneness or filthy Talk till by degrees from using to hear such things without Reproving them they grow cold in their Zeal for Religion and at length become insensible so very true it is what the Apostle says that Evil Communication corrupts even good Manners It is like an infectious Disease it gets into our Nature and we know not how and spreads its self into all our Words and Actions This is a true Reason why Christians are so cold in their Devotions so tardy in their Journey Heaven-ward even because they converse too much with the Men of the World which the Holy Ghost assures us is Enmity to God because they are so far taken with one Man's Wit another's good Humour a third's Raillery as to wink at his Prophaneness his lewd Jests his impudent Slander and so by growing cool in their Zeal for Virtue Piety and the Glory of God they at length sink insensibly into an unthinking State whereas if we followed the Apostle's Advice with a Brother that were a Fornicator or a Worldling no not to eat we should then be sure of keeping alive that Fervor and Holy Zeal in our Hearts which alone denominate us Christians Now since it is most manifest That nothing does more promote the Kingdom of Satan than these publick Clubs Why should not good Christians countermine them by making Sober Societies among themselves For in Company with Religious Persons one is tempted to utter those good things which weak Christians are ashamed to speak before the Wicked and we should have great Incouragement to speak what might be to the use of Edifying and ministring Grace to the Hearers and should our selves soon find the Benefit of keeping such Company I am saith Holy David the Companion of all those that fear Thee and keep thy Righteous Judgments Can a Man touch Pitch saith the Prophet and not be defiled therewith Can a Man carry Fire in his Bosom and his Cloaths not be burnt So neither can a Man walk in the Path of the Vngodly but if he hast not out of it he will soon come to stand in the ways of Sinners and at last to sit down in the Seat of the Scornful to mock at all Religion and then his Case is desperate I cannot sufficiently caution you against so dangerous a Temptation as that of Ill Company and especially because there are so many Snares to draw Men into Company in general of which the chiefest and as is commonly
observe the Lord's Day to sanctifie it and not to neglect if in Health the Publick Ordinances of the Church and not to walk in Publick Walks or Places where much People go tho' he be in good Company to avoid the giving of Scandal to good Christians and encouraging the Wicked in their Ways 2. To receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper frequently and to attend the publick Service and Worship of Almighty God on Week-days as often as Conveniency will permit 3. To watch strictly that by no means any Action of our Lives nor yet any of our Words may bring any Scandal on the Holy Religion we profess being Just in all our Dealings And each Member shall encourage in their respective Families and Stations all manner of Religious Family Duties 4. That every one endeavour to keep his Soul in an habitual Frame of Prayer by setting the Lord always before his Face and by making Spiritual Reflections upon every Occurrence of Providence 5. That we do not wound our Conscience by a servile Compliance in wicked Company but rather to reprove them bearing Testimony to the Gospel of Christ as far as Conscience and Prudence do then permit us to do and yet to shun all manner of Affectation and Moroseness and be of a civil and obliging Deportment to all Men. 6. To avoid all wicked Company when we have not a lawful Call and to abstain altogether from Play-Houses and Gaming-Houses and from Ale-Houses or Taverns except when doing of Business does require and to arm our selves diligently against Excess upon any such Occasions 7. To discountenance as much as may be any Discourse being divulg'd whereby any Prejudice may arise to any Member of this or any other Society or any other Person whatsoever And to take special Care to avoid entring at any time into any manner of Disputes whether about Religion or Government or other Matters as being that which does insensibly betray to Passion 8. To pray for the Society in our private Prayers that God would preserve them especially from Hypocrisie and Spiritual Pride which is the Worm at the Root that will blast all and that we be helpful one to another 9. To exercise Mortification and Self-denial and to keep a Monthly Fast if Conveniency will admit or Necessity require at least to abstain from some Meals sometimes which will much conduce to bring the Body into Subjection to the Soul 10. That we endeavour that all our Discourse may be for the use of Edifying and to minister Grace unto the Hearers we will diligently apply our selves to the Reading the Holy Scriptures and particularly such parts as are most fitted to our Capacities and Information such as amongst many others is St. Matthew 5 6 7. Romans 12. Ephesians 5 6. 1 Thess 5. 11. That every one think it his indispensible Duty to take care of one anothers Soul and not to suffer Sin to lie upon our Brother and therefore if any Member by long absenting himself from the Meeting without known cause does give just Occasion to suspect him of too much indifference that then no Person shall think himself excus'd from the Obligation of striving to reclaim him unless there be some fit Person or Persons pitch'd upon by the Society to go and do that Charitable Office if there may be hope of his Recovery 12. That we often consider with an awful Dread of God's Wrath the sad height to which the Sins of many are advanced in this our Nation and the bleeding Divisions thereof in Church and State and that every Member be ready to do what upon consulting with each other shall be thought advisable towards the Punishment of publick Prophaneness according as the good Laws of our Land require to be put in Execution and in pursuant of the King's Order and Proclamation 13. To beware of rashly-Judging or Censuring others who do not so much frequent Holy Duties as our selves or upon any other account to express due Christian Charity to those of good Conversation thoâ— they dissent from us And to examine our selves every Night that our Repentance may be sincere always evidenced by good Works 14. If any Member of the Society be Sick we do not forget to visit him and others where we see it may be convenient that we may comfort each other in this to a better Life 15. Lastly That the Major-part of this Society may make what Alteration they shall think Necessary in these RULES which done they shall oblige each Member of this Society to performance subscribing his Name hereunto thereby to declare his Approbation of and his Resolution and Endeavour to live up to them Shorter Practical RULES to be read at every Meeting when there is not time for the longer and fit for every Member to get by heart I. THat God's Glory be the end of all our Actions 1 Cor. 10. 31. II. That we Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth John 4. 24. III. That we love God above all things and our Neighbours as our selves Mark 12. 30 31. IV. That we endeavour to make the Word of God the Rule of all our Actions Psal 191. 9. 105. John 5. 39. Rom. 15. 4. V. That we keep the Lord's-Day Holy Exod. 20. 8. Isa 58. 13. VI. That we stir up and exercise the Grace God hath given us in going on from Virtue to Virtue 2 Tim. 1. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. 1 Thess 3. 12. VII That we Pray Frequently Fervent Holy and Persevering 1 Thess 5. 17. Luke 18. VIII To be Just in all our Dealings Matt. 7. 12. Luke 6. 31. IX To receive the Holy Sacrament frequently 1 Cor. 11. 26. Luke 22. 19. X. To have Poverty of Spirit Meekness and Humility Matt. 5. 3 5. Luke 14. 10. XI To watch against Censuring our Neighbours Col. 3. 14. 1 Tim. 1. 5. XII To use our selves to holy Thoughts in all Places Eph. 2. 5. Jer. 23. 23 24. Heb. 4. 13. Psal 139. 23. XIII To examine our selves every Night Psal 4. 4. 2 Cor. 13. 5. XIV To be helpful one to another Cor. 12. 27. XV. To Pray one for another Jam. 5. 15 16. XVI To exercise Tenderness and Compassion to all Men 1 Thess 5. 15. XVII To shun all Occasions of Evil 1 Thess 5. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 9. XVIII To subdue the Body by Fasting Matt. 6. 16. Luke 2. 32 Act. 13. 2 3. XIX To make holy Reflections on our selves when we read the Bible or hear the Word of God James 1. 22 23 24. XX. To endeavour to give no Scandal to the Holy Religion we profess Mat. 18. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 32. XXI To avoid uncomely Jestings and foolish Talking Eph. 5. 4 25. Col. 4. 5. XXII To Judge none that do not so much frequent Holy Duties as our selves Matt. 7. 1. Rom. 14. 13. XXIII Lastly That we all endeavour to encourage pious Discourse and constant Meetings in our Societies as well as enlarge it with suitable Members Mal. 3. 16 17. Col. 6. 9. Heb. 10. 25. James 5. 20. A Friendly Discourse concerning Prophane Cursing and Swearing Wherein is shewed the Heinousness of those Sins and the Necessity of private Persons giving Information to the Magistrates Price Stitch'd Two Pence Sold at the same Place