these foure Scholler Euery one of them haue seuerall reasons added which in the first commandement goeth before and in the other thrée doe come after Seruant Which is the Reason of the first commandement Scholler I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thée out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Seruant What doth it principally and generally teach Scholler l Deut. 6.4 5 c. Because God is the Lord my God the author of all good gifts and blessings and the only Sauiour and deliuerer of his people that therefore I am bound to serue him with all my hart Parent Which is the first commandement it selfe Child Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me Parent What doth the first commandement injoyne Child m 1 Chron. 28.9 Pro. 3.5 The inward worship of the true God alone which is both to know him and also to feare loue and trust in him and in nothing else Parent Which is the second commandement Child Thou shalt not make vnto thee any grauen Image or any likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water vnder the earth Thou shalt not bow downe thy selfe to them nor serue them Parent What doth the second commandement enjoyne Child n Deut. 12.30 31 32. Math. 15.9 The outward worship of the true God only according to his appointment set downe in the holy Scriptures Seruant Which is the reason of the second commandement Scholler For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy vnto thousands of them that loue me and kéepe my commandements Seruant What doth it teach Scholler o Psal 44.21 106.36 37. 2 Chron. 19.2 That God being jealous of his owne worship is greatly displeased with all those that do worship him in a false manner as the speciall haters of his name but that he vouchsafed singular mercy to all them that doe maintaine his pure worship accounting them his speciall louers Parents Why doth the Lord speake so particularly both of the transgressors of this commandement as though he had no other Haters but they and also of the followers of his true worship as though he had no other Louers but they seeing it is often and plainely shewed in the Scriptures that all the wicked for their transgressing other commandements as well as this are censured to be his Haters or Enemies and all the righteous hauing respect to other commandements as well as to this are esteemed to be his Friends or Louers Pastor For two causes First the Lord would preuent mans erroneous conceipt concerning this commandement aboue all the rest for man is not only p Exo. 32.7.8 Num. 15.39 Deut. 31.16.29 Esai 2.8 9. Gal. 5.16.17 c. exceedingly prone to Idolatrie Wil-worship and Superstition through the corruption of his nature but also his blinde and deceitfull heart q 2 King 18.22.25 peruersely iudgeth the follower of Gods true worship to be Gods speciall Enemie and r Iud. 17 4 5.10.12 13. Iere. 44.15 16 17 18. confidently beareth himselfe and others in hand that by his false worshipping he doth highly please God Secondly Å¿ Deut. 4.23 24. with Exod. 32.19 Idolatrie is a notable breach of Gods couenant t Ezek. 16. * Hos 1.2 2.1 â—â— 4.5 whence it is that God abhorreth both Idolaters and their Progenie continuing in this sinne as a jealous husband lotheth his whorish wife and her children u Gen. 17.7 1 Cor. 11.2 3. but he embraceth with his loue the true worshippers and their seed keeping couenant with God as the husband doth his chaste wife and her children Parent Which is the third commandement Child Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vaine Parent What doth the third commandement injoyne Child * 1 Tim. 6. â— To auoyde all dishonouring and abusing of Gods name in his titles words and workes Seruant Which is the reason of the third commandement Scholler For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Seruant What doth it teach Scholler x Zach. 5.4 Iâ—m 5.12 That God will certainly punish that person in fearfull manner who dishonoureth his holy name either in word or déede Parent Which is the fourth commandement Childe Remember the Sabbath day to kéepe it holy Sixe daies shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke But the seauenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-seruant nor thy maid-seruant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates Parent What doth the fourth commandement injoyne Child y Gen. 2.2 3. Act. 20.7 c. 1 Cor. 16.1 Nehem. 13.21 Esai 58.13.14 Apoc. 1.10 To separate our selues and our people vpon the Lords day from all other exercises to the seruice and worship of God alone Seruant VVhat is the reason of the fourth commandement Scholler For in sixe dayes the Lord made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seauenth day wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it Seruant VVhat doth it teach Scholler z Gen 2.2 3. Exod 16.23 24 25 26 27.29 Because God himselfe hauing made all things in sixe dayes both rested the seauenth from creating any more Esai 56.4.7 58.13 14. with Iohn 20.19.26 and also sanctified the sabbath for the vse of his worship wee are bound to imitate his example in kéeping of the Lords day assuring our selues that it is the way to true blessednesse Parent VVhat doth the second table containe Child a Math. 22.39 40. My dutie to man in the sixe last commandements b Epbs 6.2 whereof the first is with promise Parent Which is the fifth commandemenr being the first of the second table Child Honour thy Father and thy Mother Parent VVhat doth the fifth commandement injoyne Child c 1 Tim. 6.1 1 Pet. 3.7 All speciall duties to man in regard of his and our speciall calling and degree whether Superiors Inferiors or Equalls Parent VVhich is the Promise Child That thy daies may bée long vpon the Land which the Lord thy God giueth thée Parent VVhat doth it teach Child d Iere. 35.19 with 1 King 14.12.13 That if I make conscience of this Commandement my life shall be happie vpon the earth Parent Which is the sixth commandement Child Thou shalt not kill Parent What doth the sixth commandement injoyne Child e Math. 5.22 Ezâ—k 33.8 All duties to man in respect of his person and that both to body and soule Parent Which is the seauenth commandement Child Thou shalt not commit adulterie Parent What doth the seauenth commandement injoyne Child f Math. 5.27 28. 1 Thes 4.4.5 All duties to man in respect of Chastitie
all things to its greatest good as of Sinne Afflictions Death c. pag. 214. to 221. 6. Of the last Resurrection Iudgement generall pag. 221. to 228 7. Of watching pag. 228. to 235 8. And of Christs full glorifying of his Church in Heauen pag. 235. The Peroration or Summe of the whole composed in easie plaine meeter pag. 238. to 254. THE COVNTRY-MAN WITH HIS HOVSHOLD Being A familiar Conference concerning Faith towards God and Good Works before Men fitted for the capacitie of the meanest The Speakers conferring be these fiue The Pastor Parent Childe Seruant Scholler Pastor GOd a 2 Ioh. v. 10. speed you Parent And you also b Act. 16.15 If you haue iudged me to be faithfull to the Lord come into my house c vers 9. and helpe vs that we may learne and be stirred vp to d 1 Thess 2.11 walke worthy of God who hath called vs vnto his kingdome and glory Pastor Indeed I haue often and long time marueiled of the generall-grosse neglect and strangenesse of your selfe other housholders in that you haue contented your selues with a bare and fashionable vse of your Ministers labours in publicke without seeking any fellowship whiles you are in prosperitie with them in priuate as touching the matters of God Wherein now at the length it seemeth you desire my helpe For hitherto you and other Housholders haue by your carelessnes this way not onely hindred and discouraged your Ministers in the worke of the Gospell but also wronged your selues and your owne people besides the euill example you haue giuen to others in such sort that neither the judicious can well tell what to thinke of you nor yet you your selues for the greater number I feare know whether you profit or not by the publike preaching of the word though it be both plentifully and fitly set forth of the Ministers and also ordinarily frequented by you I say litle of the want yea of the alienating of the affectiōs of Loue and Delight yea and of Zeale oftentimes which as they are on the one side procured and nourished by often societie and familiaritie and therevpon doe much further the soule for the knowledge beleefe and practise of Godlinesse not vnlike to good handmaides who by their continuall industry do set forward their Mistresse businesse and therein promote her welfare So on the other side these being wanting or estranged many good things become vnprofitable and vsually very wholsome orders and directions are either refused or litle or nothing vsed and so the soule is neuer the neerer and it may be the further off from piety as it commeth to passe by such maides as either do not minde diligence or addict themselues to other matters then their seruice and therefore are so farre from profiting their Mistres that contrarily they do rather incomber her and hindeer her good estate And what dishonour the Lord sustaineth by this profane course I leaue to be lamented of all those that know what Gods glory meaneth and haue any feeling of the greiuous and intolerable losse of it But I pray you what haue you thought of e Act. 20.20 31. S. Paul his three yeeres diligence at Ephesus by night and day in teaching and warning euery one of the Church of God with teares from house to house And what vse haue you made of his plaine exhortation to f Heb. 13.17 obey them that haue the rule ouer you and to submit your selues and likewise of his request g 1 Thess 5.12 13. to know them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteeme them very highly in loue for their workes sake Parent For my part I must confes that albeit I haue knowne such testimonies of holy writ yet I haue not so seriously considered applied them to my selfe as now of late time euery day more and more I doe And for others I beséech God to moue their hearts likewise to h Psal 30.1 1 Cor. 16.15 16 dedicate themselues and their houses to God that euery one may helpe and labour with you for the entertainment and promoting of the Gospell of Christ Pastor Verily you haue caused me much greefe because through your strangenesse I haue bin but slenderly able to follow the Lords will i Ezek. 34. by seeking out his sheepe specially those that are lost feeding them in fat pastures laying them in good folds bringing them againe that were driuen away binding that which was broken strengthning that which was sicke c. And for that I could not approue my selfe to be that good and carefull k Iohn 10.3 4. Shepheard who calleth his owne sheepe by name leadeth them out and goeth before them that they may follow him And withall you haue made me much ashamed that I am so ignorant and vncertaine of the particular persons estate in my flocke and the more when I thinke of Cyrus the Persian King of whom it is recorded l Plinie Solin Val. Max. others that he knew both the faces names of all the souldiers in his armie which was very great so that he could salute and as neede required exhort euery one by name to vertue and manhood and yet his drift was but for earthly glory and a temporall victorie But my office is ordained of Christ the Captaine of our Faith to direct and incourage his Souldiers to get the greatest victorie that euer was or can be euen ouer the Deuill Sinne Death and Damnation and to obtaine euerlasting glory and that with Christ the Lord of glory Howbeit it is come to passe through the subtiltie of Sathan and Mans corruption in the lacke of a religious familiar societie betwixt me and my charge that I haue but litle certaine knowledge of their spirituall estate and therefore am forced to expect the lesser fruit of my publike labours eftsoones censuring my selfe as doing my office but by the halues onely in preaching a Sermon or two out of the pulpit ech weeke vpon the Lords day which yet I cannot so profitably performe in fitting my labour to their estate as otherwise I might to wit if I and they had such priuate fellowship as the Lord commendeth vnto vs in his holy word For which and diuers other reasons I doe not onely seeke and take some likely opportunities with them to set on foote this holy Ordinance of the Lord but withall I cease not to pray the Almighty the Author of all good gifts and Father of lights as well to inable and guide mee with necessarie graces and godly wisedome in some good constant course to bestow some priuate paines this way as to open the dores of my peoples hearts and houses to make some good vse thereof and I waite for the mercy of God in raising vp some helpers to the same end and in vouchsafing me some happy entrance into so worthy a meane of his glory and of our spirituall aduantage
wée may be able to bear it u u Mark 9.24 We belieue Lord help our vnbeliefe * * Esai 26.8 The desire of our soule is thy name and to the remembrance of thee x x Dan. 9.18.19 O our God encline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the City which is called by thy name for we doe not present our supplications before thée for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies y y Eph. 3.20 Now vnto thée that art able to doe excéeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs z z Vers 21. vnto thée be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout al ages world without end Amen Parent Thirdly I pray you giue vs two easie and plaine formes of thanksgiuing for our daily vse at euery meale the one before the receiuing of our food and the other after to be vttered by my selfe if I be present or by some other of my house in the name of all that partake of the same meale Pastor I will A forme of Thankesgiuing to be vsed of an ignorant familie before meales MOst gratious God we acknowledge thée to be the author of all good gifts and blessings wée humbly pray thée to forgiue vs all our sinnes Grant vs faith and sobernesse in receiuing these thy good creatures blesse them to our nourishment and stirre vs vp thereupon to serue thy holy maiesty with true thanksgiuing through Iesus Christ thy Sonne and our Sauiour by thy holy spirit Amen After Meales TO thee our most bountifull Father and gracious Lord who hast made redeemed and euer hitherto preserued vs and at this time fedde and refreshed vs with thy good gifts and creatures be all glory and obedience rendred of vs and of all other thy people both now and euermore God saue the Church vniuersall blesse the kings Maiesty continue thy Gospell make thy holy word effectuall in our hearts comfort all thy poore and afflicted seruants and giue vs thy peace and whole truth in Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Parent Fourthly I pray you giue vs some formes of prayer for morning and euening on the Lords day for the whole houshold as you haue done for the worke-dayes Pastor Nay I would rather exhort you to vse your best indeuours to conceiue prayers of your selues according as the spirit of God shall inable you and your estate shall require for on the Sabbath day you haue most time to labour in prayer if you will make conscience to redeeme your time and verily if you would set your selues vnfainedly to the studie heereof by your humble and constant crauing * Zach. 12.10 of the Spirit of Prayer at the Lords hands by a conscionable exercising of your selues in the holy Scriptures of a true purpose and holy desire to wrestle with God * Gen. 32.24 25 c. with Hos 12.3 4. as Iacob did in supplication to his glory the Lord will bestow this ability vpon you Howbeit if you desire any further direction to traine you vp in this duty of prayer you may profitably imploy your selues for some conuenient space on the Lords days in that singular help which the Lord hath prouided for you by the paines of Master Iohn Brinsley in his second part of the True Watch containing The perfect Rule and Summe of Prayer whereunto I referre you for this your fourth request Yet I will giue you a forme of prayer for solitarie vse vpon the Lords day morning I meane for each one by himselfe apart For although it bee a Christians part both to pray solitarilie euery worke day and also to ioyn with the whole familie in priuate prayer on the Lords day and the same more largely and oftner then on other daies yet there seemeth to bee speciall reason and need for euery particular person to call vpon God by himselfe alone for preparation towards the beginning of the Lords day Because I. God must be intreated by al manner praier and means possible to inable vs vnto the duties of this day Reasons for solitary or secret prayer in the entrance of the Lords day II. This solitary praying will occasion and further vs to seeke our neerer reconciliation with God which as at al other times so cheefly on that day we must giue greatest diligence to be sure of III. It is a speciall meane to make vs the more carefull both to bestow the more time and labour vpon Gods seruice and to profit the better thereby on that day IV. Euery one knoweth best his owne particular corruptions and wants in former abuse of the Sabbath whereof hee ought to begge forgiuenesse at Gods hands in secret and to seeke his owne particular healing and comfort V. Lastly consider I pray you how you know that your heart is sincere and earnest in seeking the Lord on his day and what sound comfort you can haue in your selfe against the accusation of hypocrisie or of vaine glory when Satan shall by anie meanes charge you therewith if you be cold in your secret and solitarie prayers on that day and specially if you neglect them thereon altogether Furthermore remember that the Sabbath is the Bond of all Religion for which cause the Lord doth often stile * Esai 56.2 Lam. 1.7 Ezek. 20.11 c. his whole Religion by the name of the Sabbath and that therefore it is your part being a Christian Housholder as to haue a care of your selfe and of all your people for resorting vnto the publike worship of God with firme constancie and there to continue with reuerence from the beginning to the end of the whole so to call your selfe to a secret reckoning with God for your profiting that day and your people all togither before you inquiring of them one by one what they haue gained by ech Sermon and to teach them diligently labouring to haue conscience put vpon them by the Lord and to the same ends imploying your selfe and them more that day than any other in praiers and thanksgiuings singing of Psalmes and vse of the word in publike and priuate and * Psal 93. 107. throughout but specially v. 42 43. in a wise and holy obseruation and application of the workes of God For whosoeuer you be vnlesse you make conscience of all these things how can you expect Gods blessing vpon any publike exercise though neuer so holy in it selfe which you shall haue to doe withall on that day Therefore if you iudge this forme following fit for your estate vse it ech one seuerally by himselfe during your present ignorance and weaknesse A Forme of Prayer for the Sabbath day morning or the euening before to be vsed of a weake Christian by himselfe alone tending to his better preparation for the duties of the Sabbath A forme of solitarie prayer for the beginning of the Lords day a a Psal 21.1 VNto thée O Lord doe I lift vp my soule and
glory of his power with the Deuill and his Angels euery one according to the diuers measures of the deserts of their sinnes Seruant Why is the day of iudgement concealed from all Angels and men Scholler r Mat. 24.36 37 38 39 40 41 42 c. Mark 13.33 37. Luk. 21. 34 35 36. Both to preuent all curious inquiring and also to make vs the more watchfull Seruant Why what neede haue we to watch seeing some signes that must go before that day are not yet fulfilled as besides others there ſ Math. 24.23 24 25 26 27 28. Mark 13.21 22 23. must be False-Christs and False-Prophets shewing great signes and wonders Scholler For two reasons cheifly First t Job 33.23 24 25 26 27 28. Eccles 9 10. Ps 89.10 11 12. 90.12 115.17 Hebr. 3.15 1 Thess 5.1 to 12. Rev. 14.13 compared because our death is to vs as the last iudgement shall be to them that then shall be found liuing forasmuch as they are both alike vncertaine and vnknowne and we may be yea and are often deceiued for the time of death as much as any shall be for the time of the last iudgement And séeing the last iudgement shall finde vs in that state whether for grace or sinne wherein death leaueth vs wherefore we must necessarily watch and prepare for death as for the last iudgement Secondly u Mar. 13.32 33 34 35 36 37. Luk. 21.34 35 36. 1 Thess 5.1 2 3 4 c. although wée should not be deceiued for the time either of the one or the other yet the danger of securitie whereby men are hardned to their owne destruction can be by no other meanes preuented nor auoyded but by watching the onely remedie against it Seruant Wherein consisteth this so needfull a Grace of Watchfulnes Scholler Both in shunning all the occasions of securitie and in vsing all the meanes of a speciall preparation or readinesse Seruant What occasions of securitie do you meane must be shunned if we will watch Scholler * Luk. 21.34 35 36. Not only voluptuousnes couetousnesse worldly carefulnesse ambitious desires and the like which are grosse sinnes x Luk. 17.26 27 28 c. 14.18 19 20. 1 Cor. 7.24 35. Esai 22.12 13 14. But also all abuse and excesse yea and the vnseasonable vse of things that of themselues are necessarie warrantable as eating drinking buying selling planting building marrying and giuing to mariage recreating c. as when men do giue themselues ouer to these things which are so much the more pernicious to the soule because they are not ordinarily condemned amongst men Seruant What meanes of speciall Preparation or Readinesse must wee vse Scholler First y 2 Cor. 13.5 Revel 21.27 wée must diligently examine our selues whether we haue the Faith Repentance and Sanctification which lead vnto saluation Secondly we must be carefull z Mat. 25.14 15 c. to 31. Dan. 5.18 to 24. with 4.24 25 26 27. 1 Cor. 10.31 1 Pet. 4.10 11. of the talents that is of those gifts and graces both of minde bodie which God hath distributed to vs to vse them to his glory and to the good of his Church yea and that others also may be stirred vp to séeke and serue the Lord which likewise turneth to Gods aduantage in the end Thirdly a 1 Thess 5.17 18 19 20 23. Psalm 16.1 Luk. 21.36 Mark 13.33 34. Revel 22.20 we must set our selues in most serious manner as to all the exercises of Piety so specially to Prayer that God would preserue vs from falling away that he would hasten his comming to Iudgement and fit vs thereunto Seruant How shall one know whether he haue the true grace of Faith that leadeth to saluation Scholler Besides other notes which I haue declared * Part. 2. and Part. 5. aboue one may try himselfe whether he hath true sauing Faith by these two First b Rom. 5.2 3 c. Heb. 10.34 35. 1 Cor. 3.21 23. when he can rightly reioyce and glory in God comfortably depending vpon him in all necessities feares and dangers yea euen in the midst of his greatest tribulations and tryalls vpon this ground of assurance that all things are his he Christs and Christ Gods Secondly c 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. 1 Ioh. 5.4 when his heart reioyceth at the very remembrance and consideration of the day of Iudgement because he is priuy to himselfe that he hath fought the good fight of Faith against all his temptations and hath also kept the same in a good conscience Seruant And how shall one perceiue in himselfe true Repentance and Sanctification Scholler First more generally d Math. 11.12 1 Iohn 3.2 3 8 10. Phil. 3.10 11 12 c. Psal 119.6 Matth. 16.23 Act. 5.3 Zach. 3.2 Rō 16.10 1 Ioh. 2.13 14. Ephes 4 26 27. 6.13 when one fully purposeth in his heart and applieth his whole strength powring forth his prayers incessantly vnto the Lord both to be throughly purged from all his sinnes without exception because where any one knowne sinne raigneth there Satans throne is and also to walke with God purely in the obedience of all his commandements all his dayes and most of all in such duties as God doth specially require at his hands for the magnifying of his power and grace ouer Satan and Sinne and specially at what time he is most strongly tempted to euill or opposed in that which is good Secondly more particularly by the graces of humility and mercie Seruant How may we perceiue the soundnesse of our repentance and sanctification by the grace of humility Scholler e Rom. 11.20 22. Pro. 15.33 Luk. 17.10 1 Cor. 4.5 6 7. Iob. 31.13 14 34. 2 Sam. 12.7 8 c. 13. with Psal 51 141.5 144.3 1 Tim. 1.15 Ephes 3.8 Esai 40 17. When in all our waies and euen in our greatest earthly prosperitie we doe carrie our selues with lowlinesse and feare both before God and Men as being euer in Gods sight onely vpholden by his grace hauing nothing but what we haue receiued and that of his frée goodnesse onely which he might haue giuen if he had pleased to any others though neuer so vnworthy as well as to vs and of sinners that shall be saued the chéfe but lesse than the least of all Saints in one respect or other if not in many And séeing all people and nations of the whole world are counted to God lesse then nothing and vanitie how little iudge you is each particular person if so he knew himselfe aright in his owne eyes To conclude it is a good note that wee haue humilitie the ready way to glorie when we can patiently and thankfullie in the secret of our hearts heare our reproofes and holilie profit by them Seruant How by Mercy Scholler f Mark 3.5 Luk. 19.8 41 42 43.44 Act. 9.36 10.1 c. Gal. 6.10 Psal 16.2 3. 35 13 14. Heb. 6.10 13.3.16 Iam. 2.13 Mat. 24.34